Getting a real estate license in Illinois is no easy feat. In addition to licensing courses, exams, and completing training with a sponsoring broker, there is endless ongoing research into market trends, local housing prices, and government regulations. The threat of losing one’s real estate license because of a criminal conviction or for any other reason could mean years of hard work and personal investment gone to waste. If you are facing sanctions to your professional real estate license, make sure you speak with an Illinois professional license defense attorney right away.

Crimes That Can Trigger Real Estate License Sanctions

Many crimes are serious enough to allow sanctions against a real estate license, and some may even prevent someone from getting their license in the first place. Although the crimes are not limited to those related to real estate, crimes that are connected to real estate in any way are top of the list. These include, but are not limited to:

• Financial crimes, such as embezzlement, extortion, conspiracy to defraud, failing to pay state taxes, or robbery
• Fraudulent crimes, such as forgery, identity theft, writing bad checks, or bank fraud

However, other crimes can land you in serious trouble as well. These include arson, rape, theft, assault, perjury, and more. If you are facing criminal charges, it is important to have a competent criminal defense attorney as well as a professional license defense attorney.

Several American nurses lost their jobs recently after they posted a video on social media describing the things they dislike about their jobs in labor and delivery. Even after the original posting was deleted, the video continued to make its way around the internet, leaving the nurses who originally posted it with no way to take it back or to get their faces out of the news.

This incident highlights the pitfalls of social media use for healthcare professionals, who, while certainly being entitled to their opinions about their job and patients, are at a heightened risk of professional sanctions for sharing those opinions publicly. Experts who advise healthcare professionals on how to use social media wisely have several tips for avoiding behaviors that could potentially open one up to criticism and even professional disciplinary measures.

Maintain Patient Privacy

This may seem like a no-brainer, but many professionals inadvertently give out private patient information on social media by discussing specific cases without adequately protecting the patient’s anonymity. In addition to ensuring you never violate HIPAA laws, even the people you work with should be unable to identify certain patients from your social media discussions. The more people talk openly about a specific case, the more likely it is the patient will be identified.

Studies estimate that more than 40 percent of doctors will be sued during their careers. As America becomes increasingly litigious, doctors can expect that rate to go up - and so can other healthcare professionals. Nurses, dentists, psychologists, social workers, and any other healthcare worker is at risk of any number of accusations - many of which may be partly false, unfounded, or stem from the accuser’s own mental unwellness.

Even in cases involving obviously false allegations, healthcare practitioners can find themselves defending their cause in front of their regulating board, to say nothing of the impact such allegations can have on the professional’s standing in their family and community. If you have been accused of any wrongdoing, it is crucial to retain experienced legal representation right away.

What Kind of False Accusations Can Healthcare Workers Face?

Medicine is a complex area of employment that involves interactions with patients, coworkers, financial processors, and more. Healthcare employees may face false accusations for a virtually limitless number of reasons, including, but not limited to:

Social workers play a crucial role in helping people work through their problems and become effective, well-adjusted members of society. Whether social workers practice in child welfare agencies, addiction services, schools, or private practices, they help vulnerable people and communities deal with real-world problems.

Unfortunately, because of the often public-facing nature of their job, social workers often find themselves targeted by dissatisfied clients, parents, or coworkers. Social workers also carry the burden of performing professionally at a very high standard, protecting vulnerable people even at the expense of their own needs or desires. Sometimes, social workers make mistakes that jeopardize their ability to practice their profession; other times, they are unfairly singled out for retaliation. Whatever the allegations against you, if you are a social worker facing accusations of ethical misconduct, negligence, or other misbehavior, you need the help of an Illinois professional license defense attorney.

What Kind of Behaviors Are Considered Ethical Misconduct?

Social workers have to be cautious in their actions towards clients and clients’ families. Behaviors that are intended to be harmless may be easily misconstrued, especially by those who struggle with mental health issues, and even the most well–intentioned professional can make mistakes. Common complaints against social workers that can result in investigations and sanctions include, but are not limited to:

Accusations of Medicare fraud or abuse can have a significant impact on a healthcare provider’s ability to practice his or her profession. In addition to limiting the kinds of patients a provider can serve, Medicare provider revocation can be involved without other sanctions that may prevent a doctor from practicing altogether and may involve hefty fines. In one recent example, a Kentucky doctor was fined $720,000 and suspended from federal healthcare programs for fifteen years for submitting false claims to Medicare and Violating the False Claims Act.

If you are facing accusations of Medicare fraud, you need experienced, aggressive legal counsel to help you manage the investigation in your favor. If you have already had your Medicare provider status revoked or suspended, a professional license defense attorney may be able to help you get your privileges back.

Why Would Medicare Provider Status Be Revoked or Suspended?

Because Medicare is a government program and the government relies on trustworthy practitioners to provide excellent medical care to potentially vulnerable patients, investigators with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are motivated to find and investigate those who may be acting in ways that are not conducive to Medicare’s overall aims. A healthcare provider may face suspension, permanent revocation, or a reenrollment bar for many reasons, including: