Don’t let the Department keep you down

Administrative agencies have enormous power over people’s lives. Many professions and businesses require licensing. The licenses impose conditions on people in order for them to work in a wide variety of professions. Conditions include things that most of us would approve of (for example, that professionals not sexually or financially exploit their clients.) Licensing requirements also demand things that are not necessarily in the public interest. Continuing education sounds like a good thing, but in reality it involves a professional circuit mainly aimed at collecting fees rather than educating people. Most licenses require that people not act in an unprofessional manner. While that might sound good in theory, in practice, that requirement is often used to sanction professionals for conduct having nothing to do with their profession. For example, the Department of Licensing may discipline a real estate agent for a shoplifting conviction. The Department of Licensing frequently disciplines real estate agents for that despite the fact that courts have held that they cannot do so.Why do departments attempt to regulate professionals in ways that they are not entitled to? Power corrupts. Average working people cannot afford the cost of attorneys. They either don’t contest the charges at all, or they represent themselves in a legal forum. A person who represents himself against an experience assistant attorney general is at a huge disadvantage. The Departments get used to doing what they want. Don’t become their next victim. Contact an experienced attorney before it is too late.