How a DUI Charge May Affect Your Divorce

A divorce may be stressful and upsetting on top of everything else.

Your financial situation, physical health, and emotional wellness should be your last priorities at this time.

If you also face accusations of driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs (DUI) while your divorce is still in the works.

6 Ways a DUI Charge May Affect Your Divorce

1. Losing Your Driving Rights

One of the most trying repercussions of being found guilty of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated is the suspension of your driving privileges. All aspects of your divorce will be more challenging if you lose your driver’s license, even for a brief time.

For instance, it could make it more challenging for you to arrange meetings with your attorneys to discuss your rights, travel to and from court dates, or plan visitation or custody hearings so that you can see your kids. Additional potential issues include:

2. A reduction in revenue

Regardless of whether you lose your driving privilege or not, there is a high possibility that your regular work schedule will be altered due to your DUI charges. For example, you might need to take longer time off from work than you had planned because court appearances are sometimes required in divorce and DUI cases.

In addition, the costs related to your DUI may be treated as a particular item for which your husband is not responsible when you divide the money with him. As a result, you might receive less of the money than you had planned.

3. Children’s Legal Responsibility

It is well known that the legal system does not positively view parents who are thought to have a problem with substance abuse. As a result, child custody disputes may become more difficult, especially if your kids are still too little to take care of themselves. The presence of your child at the time you were stopped for driving while the court may even use intoxicated as proof that you harmed your child.

Your spouse might use these accusations as a negotiating chip to get more time with the kids or change your visitation rights in a way that would be detrimental to you. You must contact an attorney as soon as possible after your arrest to have a fighting chance of maintaining a strong custody arrangement with your spouse.

4. The Court’s Decision

A DUI might negatively affect the court’s perception of the matter and complicate proceedings if the court must be engaged in dividing your assets as part of your divorce. They might also render a more favorable judgment to your spouse if they think that your joint assets have been recklessly exploited to pay for your DUI offense or associated costs. They may take this action if they think your assets have been recklessly utilized to pay for your DUI arrest or associated costs.

Making it to court appearances, scheduling appointments with your divorce lawyer, and keeping other commitments that can enhance the court’s image of you may become more challenging due to your DUI proceedings. This includes arriving on time for appointments with your divorce lawyer and court appearances.

5. Additional Finance-Related Challenges

Financial strain can result from being accused of driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs, particularly when the expenditures are added to the ones already associated with getting a divorce. Your finances may be significantly impacted by damages, fines, court charges, and the expense of hiring a DUI lawyer.

If you lose your job, which is a possibility, it may be more difficult for you to pay for these expenses. In addition, your insurance premiums are likely to increase dramatically for several years after the incident if there was property damage or personal injury due to the incident.

6. Additional Conflict Sources

Your physical and emotional health may suffer if you deal with your DUI charges while going through the divorce process. Even the divorce process itself is an extremely difficult event. Stress and heightened conflict in relationships, including those with close friends and family, are related.

Additionally, it may be challenging to concentrate on one’s profession or issues about child custody, which this problem may compound. Additionally, this stress may have a detrimental impact on your ability to make wise decisions, whether they are related to maintaining relationships or managing finances.

Several potential consequences can come from being arrested for a DUI while going through a divorce. These consequences can include difficulties with custody arrangements, negative judgments from the court, and increased financial strain.

In addition to these challenges, it is important to note that a DUI arrest may cause further stress and conflict in relationships. Therefore, it is crucial to clearly understand these potential consequences to make the best decisions for your future.

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Haris Norman is a writer and journalist based in the Bay Area. He has been writing for over 12 years, publishing in magazines, newspapers, and online media outlets both in his home country and abroad. His work focuses on politics, social issues, and human rights. Haris is also a freelance translator and interpreter.

 

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