Rhiannon M. Hartman

Rhiannon Hartman practices estate planning in the Williamsburg office of Carrell, Blanton Ferris & Associates. She has lived in Williamsburg for over fifteen years. This still surprises her, given her experiences moving frequently and growing up all over the world. Prior to her tenure in Williamsburg, she had not lived anywhere for more than four years. She finds this to be a wonderful place for her two children to grow up. She also enjoys listening to the stories of many clients who have had similar life experiences of travel and have chosen to settle in Williamsburg.

She finds estate planning to be a unique area of the law in which time is taken to get to know clients and their families, and this process is very meaningful, because of the peace of mind it ultimately imparts. Mrs. Hartman is delighted to practice in an area of law which is not adversarial (although she thoroughly enjoyed her law school internship as a Prosecutor). Estate planning allows her to utilize her analytical skills and detail-oriented focus to ensure that her clients and families can rely on their estate plan in the event of incapacity or death.

She is particularly sensitive to the emotional nature of estate planning for many clients and their families. Employing a compassionate, holistic approach, she understands that clients seeking estate planning services are often experiencing health issues, loss, or the challenges of their particular family dynamic. No matter the situation, she hopes that her clients are able to find some measure of peace of mind from the work they achieve together.

She has seen firsthand the after-effects resulting from a lack of estate planning, or planning which was not appropriately updated prior to an individual’s death or incapacity. These experiences motivate her to work with clients to structure a plan that includes not just legal documents, but a legacy that conveys how much her clients cared for their loved ones.

Education

• College of William and Mary
• University of Richmond School of Law, cum laude
  • Trial Advocacy Board Member
  • Career Services Advisory Board Member
  • Manuscripts Editor of the Richmond Public Interest Law Review, formerly known as the Richmond Journal of Law and the Public Interest.

Previous Experience

• The Heritage Law Group, 2011-2015

Recognition and Service

• Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia Board Member (2023-present)
• Top Lawyers of Coastal Virginia, awarded by Coastal Virginia & CoVaBIZ (2020-2022)
• Qualified Counselor Designation from the Virginia Law Foundation (2022)
• Major Donor Committee of the Friends of Williamsburg Regional Library Foundation (2021-present)

Professional Affiliations

• Virginia State Bar
• WealthCounsel
• Williamsburg Bar Association