3 Lasting Consequences Of A DWI Charge

Dealing with all the penalties that come along with a DWI charge can be inconvenient and frustrating. You can’t just pay a fine and move on, like you can when faced with many other driving tickets.

Of course, driving tickets equate to points that can stack up and lead to a driver’s license suspension. But they don’t come with the same list of punishments or weight of a misdemeanor or felony charge that a DWI can carry.

Driver’s License Suspension

Whether you use your license to transport yourself or your family, facing a license suspension or revocation can impact your day-to-day life. You might have to find alternate ways to get to work or transport your children to school or extracurricular activities. And if police officers repeatedly catch you driving without a license, then you risk never being able to regain your driving privileges again.

Career And Criminal Record

DWI charges leave a stamp on your criminal record for several years. If you’re at the beginning or in the middle of your career, this can put your goals on hold or change the entire trajectory of your career. If your current job requires you to have a clean criminal record, then they can fire you. And if future jobs run a background check and doesn’t like what they see, then they don’t have to hire you. Switching your career with college courses or a degree can also be challenging with a DWI on your record, as financial aid might be hard to receive.

Continuing “Fines”

Even after paying the hundreds or thousands of dollars in fines attached to your DWI charge, you could still be paying for your charge, indirectly, in other ways. Specifically, you will have to continue to pay for your car insurance, even when you don’t have a license to drive. Plus, your insurance rates are likely to spike greatly.

The long-lasting legal consequences of a DWI can deeply affect your personal and professional life, but you don’t have to face the charge alone. A criminal defense attorney can help you devise a plan to reduce your penalties.