No licensed professional wants to have to consult a license defense attorney. But these lawyers provide specialized services for license holders who face disciplinary action. Such services can mean the difference between losing your license or receiving a lesser punishment.
Learn what a professional license defense attorney does and how one of these legal experts can protect your rights before a licensing board.
When to Call a License Defense Attorney
You sacrificed a lot of time and money to get your professional license. Whether you work as an accountant or a cosmetologist, your license is your livelihood.
When your licensing board begins investigating you for disciplinary purposes, your career is at risk. An attorney can help you defend your license and, if you end up receiving harsh disciplinary action, help you get your license back.
The Role of the Defense Attorney
A defense attorney can ensure a better outcome in a disciplinary case in several ways, including:
Assessing the Case Against You
The licensing board must provide you with enough information to respond to the allegations against you. A defense lawyer can review the complaint that provides the basis for the disciplinary proceeding.
Plaintiffs sometimes exaggerate or even fabricate allegations against the defendant. For example, a dissatisfied customer could file a false complaint to get you into trouble.
Your lawyer can review the alleged facts and investigate whether there are witnesses and documents to support or refute them. Based on their investigation, you and the lawyer can decide on a strategy for dealing with the disciplinary proceeding.
Ensuring a Fair Process
As you prepare to respond to the complaint, your lawyer will work to guarantee you’re treated fairly. Disciplinary boards have procedural rules for conducting disciplinary proceedings. A knowledgeable lawyer can hold the board to those rules to ensure you get a fair hearing.
Defending You Before the Board
While some complaints are fabricated or exaggerated, others are more or less truthful. If you and your lawyer determine that you face a real risk of discipline, you’ll need to present mitigating evidence to reduce the punishment you stand to receive.
For example, you might present evidence that you attempted to provide restitution to anyone harmed by your alleged violations. Doing so might earn you a reprimand instead of a suspension or termination.
You could even consider negotiating a resolution of the case against you to try to get the best possible outcome. As part of a resolution, the board might agree not to terminate your license in exchange for your agreement to a temporary suspension.
Helping You Regain Your License
Chances are you’ll probably want to regain your license and restart your career after you’ve borne the consequences of your punishment.
If the licensing board fixed an end date to your penalty, you might automatically regain your license when it expires. If they require you to apply to lift the suspension, having an experienced defense lawyer at your side can help you successfully apply for reinstatement.
Contact S J Harris Law for a Free Initial Consultation
A license defense lawyer can save your license or put you in a position to regain it in the future. Contact S J Harris Law for a complimentary initial consultation to discuss your licensing status and the defenses you can raise to a disciplinary complaint.
