“I’ll Just Explain It Myself”: Why Self-Representation Often Backfires

As a licensed professional, you know what you’re doing. You’re highly trained in your field, you know how to solve difficult problems, and you probably have excellent communication and organizational skills.

And yet.

When you’re being investigated by your state’s licensing board in response to a complaint, you’re not going to be the best person to represent your case in this high-stakes matter. Yes, you understand its professional context. And maybe the incident seems pretty minor. Plus, you reason, if things go sideways, then you can bring in the lawyers for an appeal.

Friend, this is a recipe for disaster. If you’re a licensed professional and the board investigators are knocking on your door, call the Professional License Defense Team at the LLF National Firm today. We help people just like you nationwide, every day. Reach us by phone at 888-535-3686 or send us a message online.

Sounds Like a Good Idea; Probably Isn’t

Licensing board investigations are more complex and demanding than most people realize. Let’s look at the ways self-representation during a board inquiry can backfire:

• Your thought: “I know my field, and I know the facts here. All I have to do is explain.”

  • Knowing the field and the facts is NOT the same as understanding your board’s process and procedures, timelines, and evidentiary rules. Getting these wrong can make your situation far, far worse than it already is.

• Your thought: “I could hire a lawyer, but it’ll be much cheaper if I handle all this myself.”

  • This is true — at least in the short term. In the long term, if you don’t handle things the right way, you could end up losing your license, losing your business or practice, and fighting for reinstatement in the courts or through the board’s appeals process. These are expensive outcomes.

  • Working with someone who focuses on helping professionals protect their hard-earned licenses every day means you can focus your own business while they manage document requests and filing deadlines, prepare for hearings, and craft defensive strategies in accordance with all applicable rules and statutes.

• Your thought: “If the board gets this wrong and finds against me, I’ll just appeal.”

  • If defending yourself against a complaint in the first place requires concentration, diligence, finesse, and many, many hours, wait until you see what’s involved in filing — and winning — an appeal.

  • Even a successful appeal can still entail remediation (trainings, fees, pro bono work), and no matter what, the reputational damage is already done. If your board rules against you, an appeal might be warranted — but the best strategy is a successful defense the first time around.

Is It Really Worth the Risk?

If anyone knows the field and the facts of your case, and has the smarts and the poise to master almost any situation, it’s you. And yet: It’s not at all that simple. Your state licensing board is NOT your field, and the practices and standards you’ve mastered in your discipline don’t apply here. With so much at stake, is representing yourself really worth the risk?

The LLF National Law Firm’s Professional License Defense Team has the experience, knowledge, and insight into how licensing boards operate to help you resolve your board’s inquiry and move forward with your business or practice. Call us at 888-535-3686 or send us a message online and tell us about your case.