Having a DUI conviction or impaired driving on your record is serious. Long after you’ve served time, completed court-ordered classes, and had your driving privileges restored, there will still be DUI consequences that affect you for years. Before thinking that this is the type of thing that will blow over, consider how life will be when you face these types of changes in your life.
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Negative Impact of DUI Conviction
Say Goodbye to Affordable Auto Insurance
It’s great that you have your license back, but don’t get behind the wheel until you do something about your auto insurance. There’s a good chance that your insurance provider will increase the premiums significantly. That’s because you now represent a greater risk to them. Higher premiums are the price you pay for being a higher risk client.
If your provider drops you altogether, that means looking for another one. You’ll most likely end up with a high-risk provider who will also charge exorbitant rates. Get used to it, because you’ll be paying higher premiums for a long time.
Forget About Some Types of Promotions
Your boss may be the type who is willing to cut you a little slack. That’s great, but don’t think that means nothing has changed. While you may keep your present job, the potential for receiving a promotion is likely impaired. There may even be some positions within the company structure that are out of the question even if you do express an interest.
After getting a DUI conviction, things may get worse if your employer downsizes or goes out of business. When you begin looking for another job, you may find that getting something similar to what you have now is not possible. That will likely affect your future earning power as well as the ability to work in your chosen field.
Expect Some Damage to Your Social Life
Some of your friends may also be the understanding types who don’t excuse what you did but choose to remain a part of your life. Others may feel the need to distance themselves from you. There’s also the possibility that you may have difficultly building new relationships with others who learn of what happened.
This is not just about platonic relationships. A DUI conviction on your record could adversely affect your romantic life. In an age when many people take to the Internet to find out about people, they’ve just met, information about the conviction may be all it takes for them to cool things before they can get serious.
Getting Credit or Financing May Be More Difficult
After getting a DUI or a second DUI charge, you may find that your credit score suffers. That will make it more difficult to get financing when you need it. That doesn’t mean no lender or creditor will work with you; it does mean that the odds of getting the best deals will be somewhere between slim and none.
Think of how this could be a problem if you decide to buy a residential property. Thanks to the DUI conviction, you may pay a lot more in interest even if a lender is willing to provide the financing. The same may be true for things like car loans and even higher-end credit card accounts.
If you’re already facing charges, the best thing to do is look around for legal representation. Whether friends refer to the impaired driving lawyer or you find one by another means, work closely with your legal counsel. Beating the charges will help you sidestep these consequences and hopefully allow you to not end up in the same situation again.
