How Might My Life Be Affected by a Legal Conviction?

 Posted on April 23, 2024 in Criminal Law

If you are convicted of a crime, you are generally compelled to pay fines and serve some sort of sentence before you can rejoin society. While you might think that completing your sentence means you have paid your price, the truth is that a conviction can have lasting implications and a criminal record can haunt you throughout your life. If you are accused of a crime and facing criminal charges, a skilled Illinois criminal defense lawyer can fight for your rights and build a strong defense for you.

What Aspects Can a Criminal Conviction Affect?

• Access to education: You might be required to disclose your criminal background. This information can influence decisions about admissions and financial aid approval.
• Employment opportunities: Background checks are sometimes part of the hiring process, and potential employers might be hesitant to hire a job candidate who has a criminal record.
• Housing: Some landlords prefer not to rent their property to someone who has had a criminal conviction, even if it was long ago and the person has turned their life around. Criminal records can also affect your ability to be approved for a loan, making it challenging to be a homeowner.
• Relationships: Potential romantic partners might be nervous about starting a relationship with someone who has a criminal record. Moreover, the above-mentioned obstacles to education, employment, and housing can make it much harder for you to seem like the catch you are.
• Voting: Depending on what state you are in, your criminal record might result in the loss of your right to vote. Losing your political voice in this way can also harm your sense of belonging to the greater community.
• Immigration: If you are not a citizen, a criminal conviction can nullify any chances you had of being approved for immigration and you could be deported.
  

Criminal conviction certainly carries a great deal of stigma with it. Even if someone is unmoved by your record or has gotten past any hesitations once they got to know you as a person, the other challenges can make it harder to move forward. You might have a hard time holding down a job, having nothing to do with your work ethic, capabilities, and personality and everything to do with a crime you were convicted of in the past. Add that to challenges you might face when trying to access education, for example in a professional degree program, and it can quickly feel like you are stuck in a vicious cycle of misfortune.  

Contact an Illinois Defense Attorney

If you are facing criminal charges, hiring an experienced Orland Park, IL criminal defense lawyer can be one of the most important steps you take. At Issa Law, LLC, we have over a decade of criminal defense experience, and we will fight passionately to defend your rights. Call 708-966-2408 so we can start building your case.