A criminal conviction can have an effect on not just your life, but also the lives of people who are closest to you. This is the reason why hiring a criminal defence attorney should be one of your first priorities as soon as you find out that you’re charged with a criminal offence, so that you can avoid a conviction or prove your innocence. Ideally, the best-case scenario would be having your charges dropped so no record can come back and haunt you later. Below are the consequences that await you if you end up with a criminal record.
You Will Lose Travel Privileges
Depending on the criminal record, your driver’s license could end up suspended or revoked. You may even face limited travel outside of your province or country.
You May Be Prohibited from Owning Firearm
A conviction for certain charges cancels your privilege to own firearms or use them.
You May Be Excluded from Becoming A Citizen
If you are an immigrant or planning to immigrate, a lot of countries including Canada can exclude you from getting citizenship or naturalization.
You Will Have Issues Getting A Job
A lot of good jobs have clauses against people who have a criminal record even if those people did not have a conviction. Some positions may not be open to hiring or promoting someone with a criminal record even if you are the most qualified person for the job.
You May Face Child Custody Problems
Your ex-partner will find it easier to win child custody as well as prevent you from seeing your child.
You May Not Qualify for Healthcare Licenses
A criminal conviction is often grounds for license revocation as well as a requirement for getting a healthcare license to begin with. This means you cannot be a doctor, a nurse, or any other licensed healthcare professional.
You Can Be Refused from Rental Properties
Landlords may refuse to rent or lease their property to you. Since getting a loan from a bank is usually an issue as well, you will have problems finding housing unless you can buy a home in cash.
You May Not Be Allowed to Adopt Children
Depending on the local laws as well as what you have a criminal record for, you may not be allowed to adopt children even when you have a suitable partner.
You Can Face More Severe Penalties for Future Crimes or Wrongdoings
Once you have a criminal record, any future wrongdoing can lead to harsher sentences as well as penalties. It may also be more challenging to prove your innocence because of the attached social stigma to having a criminal record.
Your Future Career and Education Prospects Will Be Limited
Once you have a criminal record, getting admission to a good college or graduate school will be a lot harder. Some colleges or universities can outright turn you down while some can ask for more recommendations and other requirements to prove that you will not be a liability for them. After you do get university or college admission, securing a student loan can be another hurdle that you will have to face.
Free Yourself from Having A Criminal Record
Hiring an experienced criminal defence lawyer is one of the first steps you can take to minimize the possibility of you getting a conviction or having a criminal record. More so, a criminal defence attorney like Calvin Barry can help change or delete your existing record. Contact Calvin Barry Law so we can discuss the details with you.