Receiving a notice that a complaint has been filed against you with your licensing board can be devastating. The fact is that even a single complaint can put your license, livelihood, and reputation at risk.
Texas licensing boards have the power to take a number of disciplinary actions, such as license revocation, suspension, or probation. With so much at stake, we urge you to seek the counsel of an experienced license defense attorney as soon as you are notified of a complaint.
Common Mistakes Licensees Make When A Complaint is Filed
A few of the common mistakes licensees make after receiving a notice of complaint include the following:
- Ignoring the complaint notice. Ignoring the complaint will not make it go away, and in fact, could make your situation much worse. A number of Texas licensing boards impose an affirmative duty on their licensees to respond to complaints and comply with investigations. Failure to respond may lead to more severe disciplinary action.
- Missing critical deadlines. Important deadlines by which you must respond will be listed in the complaint notice. Calendar these deadlines immediately.
- Not taking the complaint seriously based on a belief that the complaint is baseless or lacks merit. It is important to face the allegations head-on and mount an effective defense regardless of how you feel about the pending allegations.
- Inadequately responding to the complaint allegations. Your first responses to the board are critical to the ultimate outcome of your case. Contact a professional license defense attorney to help you craft your initial responses to the board. It is not uncommon that our firm is able to get a complaint dismissed with a well-crafted initial response to the board.
- Attempting to deal directly with the licensing board. The mission of the licensing board is to protect the public, not your interests or your license. Be mindful that anything you say or send to the board may be used against you. Do not contact the board to try to talk your way out of a complaint.
- Failing to mount a strong defense from the start. As the complaint process progresses, so too does the seriousness of the potential consequences. To help ensure the best possible outcome in your case it is critical to mount a strategic, well-thought-out defense from the very start.
Be mindful of what you say and do after receiving a complaint notice―every choice you make can either help or harm your case.
Our law firm helps professionals, like you, keep their licenses when those licenses are under attack by a licensing board.
BERTOLINO LLP provides aggressive advocacy for licensed professionals across the entire State of Texas who are facing disciplinary action in front of a licensing board or state regulatory agency. Our attorneys know how to navigate the complaint process against any professional, medical, or vocational license. Our results speak for themselves!
Contact us today or call (512) 476-5757 and schedule a case evaluation.
Follow BERTOLINO LLP on Facebook!
View free videos & subscribe to our YouTube channel!
Get a copy of Tony R. Bertolino’s Bestselling book When Your License is Under Attack: A Survival Guide for Texas Professionals in hardcover or for Kindle here.
Call or text (512) 476-5757 or complete a Case Evaluation form
