Being investigated by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), regardless of whether you are a doctor, nurse, roofer, veterinarian or any of the many professionals that IDFPR investigates, is a serious matter.  Licensed professionals worked hard to obtain their license, and the license provides their livelihood. It is therefore critical to take steps to protect this license.

First, do not talk with IDFPR without an attorney. Professionals often feel that they did nothing wrong, and therefore there if they just tell IDFPR what happened, the investigation will go away. The problem, however, is that there are many technical rules that professionals may not know, and even though they might have been doing their best, there might be a violation of a rule or regulation of which they were unaware.  While many professionals do not want to spend the money on a lawyer when they feel they did nothing wrong, spending money at an early stage can help mitigate the serious financial consequences or a revocation or suspension of a license.  Additionally, an attorney may, depending on the situation, be able to help get insurance coverage, as certain types of insurance cover investigations and disciplinary matters.

Next, stop talking about the investigation to friends, co-workers, mentors, or anyone else other than your attorney.  They could potentially be witnesses.

Finally, work with your attorney to be ready for your first communication with IDFPR.  As with anything in life, first impressions matter, and the first substantive contact with IDFPR can have a significant impact on where the investigation goes. A well-prepared and thorough response can help mitigate risks.

If you have questions about IDFPR or a professional license, reach out to Jordan Matyas of the Patterson Law Firm today at jmatyas@pattersonlawfirm.com.