Therefore, it is always best to put forth a maximum effort to win the case at the agency instead of relying on the courts to correct rulings made at the agency hearing. When a regulatory case is challenged in court, the contest will be one between the party that lost or was disappointed with the agency result, and the agency itself although other parties may provide support to the agency as an intervenor. The expenses associated with the hearing will be billed to the parties. Some people will want to represent themselves to save attorneys' fees. Although they are permitted to do this, professional representation is advisable and usually leads to better results than self representation.
Many people mistakenly believe that state administrative hearings are informal.
This used to be true in Texas, but no longer. This has greatly increased the fairness of the hearings, but has also greatly increased their complexity and expense. Most legally untrained people hire a lawyer for representation in an administrative hearing for the same reasons that they would hire a lawyer for representation in a lawsuit in state district court. All other parties in your hearing are likely to be represented by a lawyer and, unless you have legal representation also, you are likely to be at a distinct disadvantage. The agency's staff will try to answer your questions and be helpful.