Shayla R. Hayes

Shayla R. Hayes is an attorney with years of experience representing and advocating for vulnerable individuals and families. She earned her Juris Doctor, summa cum laude, from the Charleston School of Law, where she served as associate articles editor for the Charleston Law Review.

Shayla’s legal career has focused on complex family law, child welfare, administrative law, and government litigation, with extensive experience handling sensitive and high stakes matters involving children, families, and individuals in crisis. Prior to joining Fields Law, she served as general counsel for the South Carolina Foster Care Review Division, where she provided legal guidance to statewide review boards, agency staff, and the Board of Directors. In that role, Shayla represented the agency in abuse and neglect matters, collaborated with courts and community partners, and developed training materials. She also drafted revisions to the South Carolina Foster Care Review Board Regulations that were promulgated in 2026.

Throughout her career, Shayla has managed complex caseloads, negotiated settlements, represented agencies and clients in administrative hearings, family court proceedings and contested legal matters, and provided legal counsel on a wide range of legal issues. She has received extensive training in trauma informed interviewing and forensic interviewing of abused children. Shayla also completed the South Carolina Bar’s Mediation Training, and conducts volunteer mediations through the Upstate Mediation Center.

Ms. Hayes is admitted to the South Carolina state courts and the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. She is a member of the South Carolina Bar, the Children’s Law Committee, and the National Association of Counsel for Children.

Outside of work, Shayla enjoys traveling, spending time with her daughters, and pursuing creative interests, including arts and crafts and gardening.