Receiving notice that a formal complaint has been filed with a licensing board is one of the biggest fears among Texas professionals—and with reason. These formal complaints can have enormous repercussions on the reputation, career, and livelihood of a professional—ranging from a mere disciplinary slap on the wrist all the way to outright revocation of the license to practice. As such, when such a notice arrives in the mail or by courier, it can be a quite natural response to make a couple of errors. But it is extremely important that professionals handle things properly if they are to achieve a positive outcome
For example, sometimes a professional will receive the notice of complaint and set it aside, putting it out of sight and out of mind. We must emphasize how problematic this is. At the very least, it can result in their failure to submit their response on time (which the licensing authority is likely to interpret as failing to respond at all). Where it comes to the complaint process, deadlines are to be considered hard and fast. Not making a timely response puts a real dent in a professional’s credibility; it can result in the forfeiture of certain legal rights and can bring on further sanctions or disciplinary action. And yet, responding in a timely fashion becomes more difficult the longer a professional waits—not least because a proper response often entails the collecting of various records and other forms of evidence, which may take time.
A Direct Response
It’s also very important to respond to each of the allegations made in a given complaint. Smoothing over allegations that a professional knows to be baseless is not the way to go. It’s highly unlikely that a Board will unilaterally dismiss a complaint without the professional confronting it head-on. A direct response to every allegation is the only way to go, even if it requires a bit of redundancy.
Should you find yourself the subject of such a complaint, BERTOLINO LLP can help. Call us as soon as you are notified, so we can craft the best possible response letter to fit the facts of your case. We are experienced professional license defense attorneys, and we know how to navigate the complaint process. We are prepared to represent you at any legal hearing or proceeding regarding your license.
Our firm believes that immediately consulting an experienced professional license defense attorney to review allegations of misconduct helps ensure the most favorable outcome. BERTOLINO LLP represents licensed professionals across the entire State of Texas. If you are facing disciplinary action, contact us today or call (512) 476-5757 and schedule a case evaluation.
Call or text (512) 476-5757 or complete a Case Evaluation form
