If your cosmetology license defense is at risk due to a complaint or investigation, everything that you worked for may be at risk. You have already made a significant time investment in learning your field, and you may have even spent heavily to grow your business. One letter from the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology can upend your life’s work.

You Are Legally Entitled to Due Process

The first thing that you need to know is that a complaint against your license does not necessarily mean the end of your career. You have the legal right to be heard. The Board of Barbering and Cosmetology does not get to determine any potential discipline against you on its own. While you can deal with the board directly to give your side of the story, you can fight if you are being charged with misconduct. If you do not jointly agree on an outcome with the board, they will need to take your case to an Administrative Law Judge who will decide whether you broke Board rules. As a licensed cosmetologist, you are legally entitled to due process before the board can take any action.

You may have a chance to engage with the board before they file any disciplinary charges. You can informally respond to their inquiry and explain yourself. In some cases, informal engagement with the board can even make the problem go away, allowing you to continue practicing your profession. An experienced attorney can help you respond and deal with the board before the complaint can become formal charges.

Any disciplinary action that the board takes will be a matter of public record. Even if you are “only” reprimanded, future employers and customers can see the result of the disciplinary proceeding and the reason why the board disciplined you. Thus, your reputation and business are at stake in these proceedings. Even what you may think is a slap on the wrist can cost you severely in the future.

Hire an Attorney When Facing the Possibility of Disciplinary Action

An experienced attorney can make a large difference in any disciplinary proceeding. In any case against you, there are the facts and the law. Your job is to present the facts and dispute any allegation that claims that you broke the law. Although the board has the burden of proof to establish the facts and show that you broke the law, you must tell your side of the story and contest their conclusions when they are wrong.

You may not know of your options when facing disciplinary charges. You can negotiate with the board, and you do not have to agree with what they propose. An attorney can push back when the board is trying to push you around. Hiring an experienced barbering and cosmetology license defense lawyer can show the board that you mean business. If you learn that you are the subject of a complaint, get legal help today.