Andrea Dyer Hastings

Bar / Professional Activity

• State Bar of Georgia, 1997
• Marion T. Pope, Jr American Inn of Court, 2024
• Judge, Forsyth County High Schools Mock Trial Competition, 2026
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia, 2001
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Georgia, 2002
• Georgia Court of Appeals, 1998
• Georgia Supreme Court, 2005
• Judge, The National Mock Trial Competition, 2012
• Executive Committee Member, The National Advocates: Top 100, 2015
• Member, North Fulton Bar Association
• Member, International Association of Collaborative Professionals, 2009-present
• Trained Guardian ad Litem for Children in Contested Custody Cases, 2006 – Present
• Judge, Cobb County High School Mock Trial Competition
• Barrister, The Lamar American Inn of Court
• Judge, National High School Mock Trial Competition
• Judge, J. Melvin England Mock Trial Competition, 1998-2001
• Judge, The National Mock Trial Association, Atlanta Regional Mock Trial Competition, 2014
• Judge, Regional Mock Trial Competition sponsored by the University of Georgia School of Law, 2013
• Member, Atlanta Bar Association, Family Law Section, 2003 – present
• Member, Collaborative Law Institute of Georgia, 2006-present
• Joseph Henry Lumpkin American Inn of Court
• National Association of Professional Women
• Member, State Bar of Georgia, Family Law Section

Videos

• A podcast with the two partners in Hastings Shadmehry where they discuss general topics relating to family law, their firm, and their personal interests., The Forward Facing Podcast, 2023

Representative Clients

• Friday v. Friday, 294 Ga. 687 (2014), 2014
• Mallen vs. Mallen, 280 Ga. 43 (2005), 2005
• Davison v. State, 241 Ga. App. 685 (1999), 1999
• State of Georgia vs. Dean, 235 Ga. App. 847 (1998), 1998

Special Licenses / Certifications

• Trained Mediator, State of Georgia, 2010
• Family Law Mediator, State of Georgia, 2010
• Trained in Collaborative Practice by the Collaborative Law Institute of Georgia, 2006
• P.O.S.T. Certified Expert in Domestic Violence (Training and Evidence collection)

Educational Background

• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, B.A., with Highest Distinction, in International Studies.  Dean’s List, Phi Beta Kappa, Golden Key National Honor Society, 1990-1994
• University of Georgia School of Law, Juris Doctorate, 1994-1997

Scholarly Lectures / Writings

• Speaker, “Advanced Issues in Divorce”, National Business Institute, 2009
• Guest Lecturer, “Collaborative Divorce,” Georgia State University College of Law, Spring 2012
• Speaker, “Strategies for Effective Use of Discovery,” Divorce Law From A-Z Seminar, National Business Institute, December 2013
• Speaker/Trainer, Statewide Training of 911 Operators and First Responders in Evidence Gathering in Domestic Violence cases, Georgia Public Safety Training Safety Center, 1997- 2000
• Instructor, Domestic Mediation Training, Resolve to Solve, October 2012
• Speaker, “Drafting Common Marital Agreements and Understanding Protective Orders and Domestic Torts”, Oddities and Challenges of Family Law Seminar, National Business Institute, April 2014
• Speaker, “Post-Divorce Considerations” at the National Business Institute’s Advanced Issues in Divorce Seminar, July 2012
• Speaker/Trainer, Police Officers, Sheriff’s Deputies and Investigators in Evidence Gathering and Documentation in Domestic Violence Cases, Rockdale County District Attorney’s Office,1997-2000
• Speaker, “The Essentials of Adoption Law” at the National Business Institute’s Adoption Law: Start to Finish Seminar, March 2015
• Guest Lecturer, “The Role of the Child Specialist in Collaborative Law”, Georgia State University School of Law, March 14, 2013

Other Outstanding Achievements

• After only one year of practice, as an Assistant District Attorney, I represented the People of the State of Georgia and a victim of repeat instances of domestic violence. Because of the multiple family violence instances between this victim and her spouse, I asked the grand jury to indict the case as a felony “family violence battery”. At the time, the law provided that a “upon second or subsequent conviction of a family violence battery against the same or another victim,” the defendant may be charged with a felony. In the instant case, the defendant’s prior conviction for battery was a family violence battery under the current definition of the statute, but it had not been called a “family violence battery” because that description did not exist in the law at the time of the previous conviction. Defendant moved to dismiss the felony indictment on this basis, and the trial court ruled the previous batteries, although clearly family violence and involving the same parties, would not serve to elevate the then current case to a felony because the previous cases had not been called “family violence battery”. The trial court’s view constituted strict construction of the language of the statute at that time. I felt this construction created a potential loophole in the law for family violence recidivists, violated the true intent of the legislature, and constituted a failure to properly protect domestic violence victims from repeat offenders.  The case was dismissed by the trial court. As the State of Georgia, I appealed to the Georgia Court of Appeals. I asked the court to make law on this issue because it was the right this to do. The Court of Appeals agreed. Shortly thereafter, the Georgia Legislature did as well. Given the danger that domestic violence poses to our society, our children, our law enforcement officials, this was a special and deep personal victory to me, fighting a battle for so many who often are unable to fight for themselves. 

Honors

• Top 100 Lawyers Award, The National Advocates, 2014
• Delta Phi Epsilon
• Recipient, Cody E. Welborn Scholarship
• Phi Beta Kappa
• Golden Key National Honor Society
• Top 10 Attorney Award, National Academy of Family Law Attorneys, 2014
• Georgia Rising Stars, 2012, 2012
• Georgia Rising Stars, 2011, 2011
• The Order of Barristers, University of Georgia School of Law, Athens, Georgia
• Top 10 Attorney Award, National Academy of Family Law Attorneys, 2015, 2015
• 10 Best in Client Satisfaction, American Institute of Family Law Attorneys, 2014, 2014
• Nation’s Top One Percent Honor, National Association of Distinguished Counsel, 2015, 2015
• Top 100 Lawyers Award, The National Advocates, 2015, 2015
• Global Directory of Who’s Who Top Attorney 2016, 2016
• 10 Best Female Attorneys, American Institute of Family Law Attorneys, 2016-2017
• Georgia Trend Legal Elite, 2016, 2016
• Top One Percent, National League of Renowned Attorneys, 2016, 2016
• Nation’s Top One Percent Honor, National Association of Distinguished Counsel, 2016, 2016
• Top 10 Attorney Award, National Academy of Family Law Attorneys, 2016, 2016
• Nation’s Top One Percent Honor, National Association of Distinguished Counsel, 2017, 2017
• Top 100 Family Lawyer- State of Georgia, The American Society of Legal Advocates, 2015, 2015
• Top 100 Family Lawyer- State of Georgia, The American Society of Legal Advocates, 2016, 2016
• 10 Best in Client Satisfaction, American Institute of Family Law Attorneys, 2015, 2015
• 10 Best in Client Satisfaction, American Institute of Family Law Attorneys, 2016, 2016

“Andee Hastings is, in short, the best in our field. No one is smarter, tougher, kinder, or as assiduously fair as Andee. She wants what is best for her clients and she works to get it, but she is never needlessly adversarial. She loves her clients and wants them to live their best life with the best possible foundation.”

“I’ve had cases against this attorney and she is an outstanding advocate for her clients, is fair, professional and a wonderful attribute to the profession.”