There are many perks to being self employed. All of the success of the business fall to you and your team, and you has no one to answer to but yourself. But what about when things go wrong? What happens if you should find yourself in some trouble with the law, such as being convicted with a DUI? How does that affect your business? There are many ways a DUI conviction can negatively impact your business, and you may not have thought of some of them. Therefore, it is essential that you hire a reliable felony DUI attorney to handle your case.
Your driving rights can (and likely will) be suspended
If you are convicted with a DUI, it’s quite likely that you could lose your driving privileges. At first, this may not seem like a big inconvenience if you work from home, but what about in your personal life? And what about if you do need to drive to see clients, to visit other offices, etc.? Losing your license can be a real inconvenience.
Your car insurance rates will go up
Even if your license isn’t suspended, or when you are allowed to drive again, it’s almost inevitable that your insurance rates will go up if you have a DUI conviction on your record. Insurance companies base their rates on their assessment of risk, and few things pose as much of a risk to safety than someone who has a history of driving under the influence, even one time.
You may be required to fulfill certain requirements
- Depending on where you live, your licence may be permanently revoked as a result of a DUI conviction, which can have a serious negative impact on your ability to run your business. Even if you can get your license back, in some jurisdictions there may be certain criteria you need to fulfill before you can get your license back. These may include:
- Attending meetings on “alcohol education” so you can be informed about the negative effects of alcohol
- Undergoing random court-mandated alcohol testing, to ensure you are not indulging.
- Reporting to a probation officer regularly to ensure you are complying with the terms of your probation.
- Mandatory counselling sessions with an organization such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
Failure to pass a background check
When you have a DUI conviction, you may fail to pass a background check. This can hinder you in several ways, such as renting office space, international travel, or the ability to be licensed to practice in certain industries.
The social stigma associated with a DUI conviction
A DUI conviction can impact your business in another way, too. News gets around, and if you are part of an accident and a DUI arrest, that information may be published in the newspaper, on the local news website, etc. Clients may be hesitant to do business with you if you have been a part of illegal activity, and word of mouth can spread easily. That can have a ripple effect, causing you to lose current clients and making it harder for you to acquire new ones. That can cause your business to fall on some very hard times.
These are just a few of the ways that a DUI conviction can cause a lot of upheaval, not only in your personal life but in your business life as a self-employed person, too. If you have been convicted of a DUI, there are things you can do to restore your reputation and your legal standing. The first thing to do is to hire a lawyer who specializes in DUI defense. These experts are specialists in defending DUI charges, and they can help you to achieve the best possible outcome. By achieving the best outcome in court, you can start to repair your legal standing, and your reputation within the community. Everyone makes mistakes, and although it may be an uphill battle at first, it is possible to recover from this type of misstep and regain your status in your community as a person who can be trusted.
