There are many short- and long-term effects of a DUI conviction. Fortunately, you may be able to avoid a conviction if you talk to a lawyer as soon as you can after being arrested on suspicion of DUI. Working with a lawyer like those at Fischer and Putzi, P.A. will be the best chance you have of avoiding a conviction and getting back on your feet as soon as possible. Here are some of the long-term effects that you are looking at if you are convicted of driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated.
Issues with Your Employment
There will likely be issues with your current employment and future employment opportunities after a DUI conviction. For example, you may be at risk of losing your current job. Trying to get a job in the future may be more difficult as well when companies run criminal background checks on prospective employees. Furthermore, your ability to get more education and training to qualify for new job opportunities might also be impacted, as many state and federal education programs and certificates are available to those with a clean criminal background.
Cancelled or Increased Insurance Premiums
Being charged with DUI typically means that you will have your license suspended. When this happens, you can count on your auto insurance premiums going up. You may be classified by your insurance company as a high-risk driver, which may mean that your insurance company cancels your policy. If this happens, it will be very difficult for you to find new coverage at a cost that you can afford. Rather than cancelling your policy, you might be required to purchase SR22 insurance, a more expensive type of insurance coverage for those who have been charged with DUI. When you look at it that way, the cost of hiring a criminal defense attorney to help you out may be more valuable than you think.
Criminal Record
In some states, your DUI or DWI conviction may be classified as a felony. If this is the case, you will need to be aware of the effects of having a criminal record. In most cases, alcohol or drug-related charges will stay on a person's record forever and can never be expunged. Obviously this will have bearing on your life if you want to get a job, run for office, or even get an apartment. The best way to successfully avoid any DUI or DWI conviction is to abstain from alcohol and drugs entirely, but if you are charged, working with a lawyer is your best strategy for lessening your charges and keeping your record clean.
Personal Liberties
Many people who have felony convictions such as DUI or DWI will typically have some of their personal liberties taken away, including their right to vote, purchase firearms, or get a passport. If you are convicted of a DUI or DWI, you may be ineligible for federal assistance programs such as welfare and food stamps. The situation is even grimmer for those who are convicted of DUI that are not legal citizens of the United States, as they face deportation.
Personal Life
Some of the most detrimental effects of a DUI conviction include those pertaining to your personal life. Friends and family might be less likely to trust you to make sound decisions and be responsible for things. A felony conviction is often embarrassing more than anything else. It can be difficult to know for sure how it is going to affect the rest of your life and the personal effects are usually the most devastating. Working with a qualified lawyer like those at Fischer and Putzi, P.A. is your best chance for mending relationships, allowing you continued enjoyment of your personal rights, and trying to move on with your normal life.
Issues with Your Employment
There will likely be issues with your current employment and future employment opportunities after a DUI conviction. For example, you may be at risk of losing your current job. Trying to get a job in the future may be more difficult as well when companies run criminal background checks on prospective employees. Furthermore, your ability to get more education and training to qualify for new job opportunities might also be impacted, as many state and federal education programs and certificates are available to those with a clean criminal background.
Cancelled or Increased Insurance Premiums
Being charged with DUI typically means that you will have your license suspended. When this happens, you can count on your auto insurance premiums going up. You may be classified by your insurance company as a high-risk driver, which may mean that your insurance company cancels your policy. If this happens, it will be very difficult for you to find new coverage at a cost that you can afford. Rather than cancelling your policy, you might be required to purchase SR22 insurance, a more expensive type of insurance coverage for those who have been charged with DUI. When you look at it that way, the cost of hiring a criminal defense attorney to help you out may be more valuable than you think.
Criminal Record
In some states, your DUI or DWI conviction may be classified as a felony. If this is the case, you will need to be aware of the effects of having a criminal record. In most cases, alcohol or drug-related charges will stay on a person's record forever and can never be expunged. Obviously this will have bearing on your life if you want to get a job, run for office, or even get an apartment. The best way to successfully avoid any DUI or DWI conviction is to abstain from alcohol and drugs entirely, but if you are charged, working with a lawyer is your best strategy for lessening your charges and keeping your record clean.
Personal Liberties
Many people who have felony convictions such as DUI or DWI will typically have some of their personal liberties taken away, including their right to vote, purchase firearms, or get a passport. If you are convicted of a DUI or DWI, you may be ineligible for federal assistance programs such as welfare and food stamps. The situation is even grimmer for those who are convicted of DUI that are not legal citizens of the United States, as they face deportation.
Personal Life
Some of the most detrimental effects of a DUI conviction include those pertaining to your personal life. Friends and family might be less likely to trust you to make sound decisions and be responsible for things. A felony conviction is often embarrassing more than anything else. It can be difficult to know for sure how it is going to affect the rest of your life and the personal effects are usually the most devastating. Working with a qualified lawyer like those at Fischer and Putzi, P.A. is your best chance for mending relationships, allowing you continued enjoyment of your personal rights, and trying to move on with your normal life.
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