(NewsUSA) - You have worked hard for your professional license, and protecting it is essential to your professional success. Unfortunately, a single accusation could derail your hard work and effort in establishing a professional reputation, especially if you work in state-regulated areas such as law, child care, or real estate.

The right legal expert can be a game-changer in helping you protect your license and in developing an effective defense in any litigation. The goal of your attorney should be to help you avoid disciplinary action, and protect you from having your license revoked, according to Scott Stewart, a professional license defense attorney in Arizona and author of the book, How to Protect Your Arizona License: What Professionals Need to Know.

“Each licensing board maintains unique procedures and requires sensitive legal representation,” says Stewart. “When you are being investigated for a possible license revocation, your best interests are not necessarily being considered, which is why strong legal representation is so important and why you need to hire a professional license defense lawyer near you,” he explains.

To mount the strongest and most effective defense, take the offense. Don’t wait until a state governing board notifies you of a complaint. Instead, hire a lawyer as soon as you know that someone has a complaint against you.

In his ebook, available online at azlicensedefense.com, Stewart addresses two main aspects of successfully managing a challenge to your professional integrity.

-Short-term steps. Stewart spells out the steps to take now to minimize further damage, such as gathering key relevant documents, staying off social media, and delegating authority to manage your patients/clients.

-General principles. If your professional license is threatened, don’t panic. Instead, meet with an experienced professional license attorney who can guide you through the process. Do some journaling and write out worst-case scenarios, even the crazy ones. Keep track of deadlines, don’t procrastinate. Don’t contact your local board or commission, because anything you say could be used against you, Steward notes.

Finally, choose the right attorney, one with experience in difficult licensing cases. “The good news is that a positive outcome is possible,” Stewart says. “The right steps could translate to a triumphant return to your profession.”

Visit azlicensedefense.com for more information.