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When a case hinges on insurance policy interpretation, agency standards of care, replacement cost valuation, or claims-handling practices, you don’t need a sales agent, you need an independent insurance expert who understands how coverage actually works in the real world.
Attorneys rely on Shelby Hayes of The Coverage Consultants for clear, defensible analysis grounded in industry custom and practice, underwriting standards, policy construction, and regulatory compliance. With nearly two decades in the insurance industry and advanced designations including CIC, CPRM and AAI, Shelby brings practical production, underwriting, and agency leadership experience into the litigation arena — translating complex insurance concepts into clear, courtroom-ready opinions.
From replacement cost disputes and valuation methodology to agent negligence, E&O exposure, and policy interpretation conflicts, Shelby provides objective expert analysis designed to withstand deposition and cross-examination.
When insurance is the issue, clarity is the advantage.
Shelby Hayes is not your typical insurance professional — she is a seasoned risk management and insurance consulting expert with over 20 years of industry experience. Her credentials include professional designations such as Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC), Accredited Adviser in Insurance (AAI), and Certified Personal Risk Manager (CPRM) — qualifications that reflect advanced training and deep knowledge in complex insurance and liability matters.
What sets Shelby apart is her depth of operational industry experience combined with her role as an independent insurance expert witness. She has worked inside the mechanics of agency operations, underwriting collaboration, policy construction, and client advisory — and now applies that firsthand knowledge in litigation settings.
This means she understands not only how coverage decisions are made, but how those decisions are later scrutinized in disputes involving agency standards of care, replacement cost valuation, claims handling, and policy interpretation. She evaluates conduct against documented industry custom and practice, regulatory obligations, and real-world workflow — a perspective few experts can offer because few have operated on both sides of the equation.
Shelby does not sell policies. She analyzes them — objectively, methodically, and with full awareness of how insurance contracts are interpreted when they become evidence.
Whether you’re an attorney, HOA, or agency owner in Buford, Georgia, Shelby offers tailored consulting and expert witness services designed to help you. Her deep familiarity with property & casualty insurance practices, liability exposure, agent/broker standards of care, and compliance analysis allows her to deliver clarity in the most complicated of scenarios.
Shelby is retained as an expert witness in matters involving insurance coverage disputes, agency standards of care, replacement cost valuation, and claims-handling practices — roles that demand disciplined methodology, industry credibility, and a thorough command of policy construction and custom and practice.
Her litigation experience informs every engagement. She understands how underwriting decisions are evaluated, how agency conduct is measured against professional standards, and how policy language is analyzed when it becomes central to a dispute. That perspective allows her to identify documentation gaps, valuation inconsistencies, and procedural breakdowns that are often overlooked until they are challenged in court.
Business owners can often feel overwhelmed by liability exposures, confusing policy language, and the limitations embedded in many commercial insurance products. Shelby’s approach is consultative, educational, and client-centered:
This client-focused philosophy means businesses across North Georgia feel confident that their insurance not only protects them — it works for them.
While The Coverage Consultants is headquartered in the North Georgia region, the impact of Shelby’s expertise spans local business communities, including Buford, Cumming, Johns Creek, Flowery Branch, Suwanee, and surrounding areas.
Shelby’s unique blend of consulting experience, professional credentials, and expert analysis qualifications makes her a reliable resource for any business serious about risk management and liability protection.
If your case requires clear, defensible analysis of insurance practices, policy language, or agency standards of care, Shelby Hayes provides the technical expertise and independent perspective attorneys rely on. Her work is focused on delivering objective evaluations, structured methodology, and practical industry insight that support informed legal strategy.
📞 Contact us to schedule a consultation today.
Insurance Consulting Rate Sheet
Initial Consultation (Discovery) This service is billed hourly at $250 per hour. It includes a detailed intake and review of the client’s current insurance program, goals, and exposures, along with preliminary recommendations. The first 30 minutes may be complimentary for qualified advisor clients. Time is billed in one-hour increments.
Advisory & Review Services (Advisor Clients) These services are billed hourly at a rate of $225 per hour and include coverage reviews, suitability assessments, and strategic recommendations tailored to financial and wealth advisors or their clients.
Lunch-and-Learn or Training Session (Advisor Groups) This service is offered for a fixed fee ranging from $1,500 to $3,000. It includes customized educational training for advisor teams covering insurance fundamentals, policy design, and best practices. Preparation and training materials are included, while travel and venue costs are billed separately. Lunch and Learn Topics
Retainer / Ongoing Advisory for Wealth & Financial Firms Monthly retainer packages are available at $1,500 per month and include approximately five hours of service. Additional time is billed at $200 per hour. This option is ideal for firms requiring ongoing insurance support, case reviews, and strategic guidance. Unused hours do not roll over.
Expert Witness & Litigation Support Rates vary based on service type. File review, research, and preparation are billed at $300 per hour. Depositions and testimony are billed at $450 per hour with a four-hour minimum. Court appearances or travel days are billed at either $300 per hour or $2,000 per day. This service includes expert analysis, written reports, and testimony regarding insurance practices, standards of care, and coverage disputes. A retainer or prepayment is required.
New Hire / Producer Training Training services are available either as a fixed fee ranging from $1,000 to $2,500 per session or at an hourly rate of $200. Topics include coverage fundamentals, quoting best practices, compliance, client communication, and workflow efficiency. Sessions can be held virtually or in person, with group pricing available.
HOA Bylaw & Insurance Program Review This service is priced as a flat-fee project ranging from $2,500 to $6,000. It involves a detailed review of HOA bylaws, insurance requirements, and policy structure, along with written analysis, gap identification, and strategic recommendations.
Agency Audit & Compliance Review This project is offered as a flat fee ranging from $1,500 to $8,500. It includes an independent audit of agency operations, compliance processes, documentation standards, E&O exposures, and workflow practices, along with a full written report.
Certificate of Insurance (COI) Compliance Audits-Independent COI Compliance & Risk Transfer Consultant specializing in Georgia statutory compliance and ACORD certificate integrity.
We perform independent reviews of Certificates of Insurance to identify compliance gaps, documentation defects, and risk exposures under applicable Georgia statutes, administrative rules, and recognized industry standards (including ACORD usage guidelines).
Our services are limited to identifying discrepancies, inconsistencies, omissions, or misrepresentations between certificates and stated insurance requirements. We do not determine coverage, guarantee insurance protection, or interpret policy intent beyond the face of the certificate and referenced policy information.
Pricing is on a per certificate basis:
$90 per certificate
$2,000 per 25 certificates
What the fee covers:
Statutory compliance review (GA law)
ACORD form integrity
Accuracy & misrepresentation checks
Contract vs certificate comparison
Written findings summary
Remediation recommendations
HOA, condominium, and townhome associations rely on Certificates of Insurance to confirm that vendors, contractors, and homeowners carry the insurance required by the association’s governing documents. Unfortunately, many certificates — and many homeowner policies — do not align with those requirements, particularly in townhome communities.
Cover Your Assets Consulting / The Coverage Consultants provides independent, advisory-only Certificate of Insurance and homeowner policy compliance audits designed to compare certificates and policy representations against the association’s governing documents. Our goal is to identify HO-form mismatches, documentation gaps, and risk transfer issues before they result in uncovered losses, disputes, or special assessments.
Cover Your Assets Consulting / The Coverage Consultants provides independent insurance compliance consulting and risk advisory services. We do not act as a regulator, enforcement authority, insurer, insurance producer of record, or public adjuster in connection with these services. We do not issue insurance policies, bind coverage, assess penalties, or collect fines. All findings are advisory in nature and based on publicly available statutes, regulations, and industry standards.