Heather Cairns
Ms. Cairns has focused her practice in estate planning, estate administration, domestic matters and real estate since opening her own practice in 2005. In March 2010, she merged her practice with Shannon K. Burnett’s to form the Law Offices of Burnett & Cairns, Inc. She has implemented many estate plans, involving individuals from various ranges of personal wealth. Her clients include gay and lesbian individuals and couples who, without planning, can leave their loved ones without any rights. Her practice includes serving as a Guardian ad Litem for minors, those with mental illness, and the elderly in probate and circuit court.
Prior to her career as an attorney, she practiced as a Landscape Architect in Beaufort County, South Carolina and in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. Her projects included resort development, large scale subdivision design and permitting, recreation facility design, due diligence analysis, streetscape design, bikeway design, campus planning, urban design and redevelopment and code compliance.
She is admitted to practice law in South Carolina and the District Court of South Carolina. She received her B.S. from Kent State University, her Master of Landscape Architecture from The Ohio State University and her J.D. from the University of South Carolina, School of Law with honors. She was an editor for the Journal of Law and Education.
Ms. Cairns is a member of the Richland County Planning Commision, Richland County Bar, South Carolina Women’s Lawyers Association, Saint Timothy’s Episcopal Church, and former member of the Richland County Board of Zoning Appeals. She has been recognized for her Pro Bono practice and is a regular blood donor at the American Red Cross.