According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 1.5 million Americans are arrested each year for DWI and DUI, whether they were intoxicated by alcohol or drugs. DWI cases affect the offender, the victim, and their loved ones. The damage is severe, and families can take years to recover from the financial loss as well as the trauma, pain, and suffering.
This blog will discuss three ways a Texas DWI conviction will affect your family. As an offender, you must understand that there’s a lot at stake. While you’re risking your future and freedom, you’re also affecting the lives of those closest to you.
1. Financial Suffering
If you were the sole provider for your family, your loved ones would suffer immediate financial loss, because a DWI could mean the end of your job or career. Even if you don’t lose your job, you will have to miss work, which means lost wages. This is especially true of professional drivers who hold a CDL (commercial driver license) like truck drivers or limo drivers.
For medical professionals like nurses and doctors, a DWI could result in a revocation of your medical license. Pilots may lose their license as well. That means your spouse must step up and be a sole provider while you go through the legal process and beyond if your professional license is revoked.
This is aside from the attorney fees or the fines if you are convicted. If you are convicted of a DWI first offense, your fine is up to $2,000. A second offense holds a fine of up to $4,000, and the fine for a third offense is up to $10,000. Of course, with a second and third offense, you may serve jail time, which could jeopardize your job and career.
Financial suffering takes a big toll on middle- and low-income families. As the expenses rack up, your family will struggle to make ends meet and enjoy the same quality of life they did before.
Recommended Read: Coping with Financial Stress
2. Emotional Suffering
Emotional suffering takes the biggest toll on families, especially if you have children. Financial stress can cause emotional stress. Your family will be forced to navigate a situation they weren’t prepared for. Your job loss, the additional fines, and social stigma may make them feel anxious, stressed, and frustrated.
As tensions increase, volatility becomes the norm. Families fight more frequently and may resort to blaming each other for their circumstances. Children are most vulnerable to developing mental health disorders. As they grapple with the situation, they feel scared and nervous—especially if their father or mother ends up serving time in jail or prison. Even the best family dynamics can take a turn for the worse.
3. Resentment
Resentment is one of the most common feelings that arise when a family member is jailed. If you’re a parent, your spouse and children may resent you for putting your freedom in jeopardy and becoming an absent family member. These feelings must be navigated with care. Your family may have to seek therapy to heal from the damage of going from a healthy family to a splintered family.
Recommended Read: If I’m Arrested for DWI and Someone Dies, What Are the Charges?
If you were recently arrested for drunk driving for the first time, it’s imperative that you mount an aggressive defense with a goal of getting your charges dismissed. That’s because if you are convicted of your first DWI, it could be a factor when the judge considers a harsher sentence if you ever face subsequent DWI convictions.
Contact a DWI lawyer as soon as possible to protect your rights. Attorney JL Carpenter has an excellent track record of successfully defending those charged with DWI. She meticulously collects evidence for her clients and builds a strong case to achieve the most favorable outcome possible.
Click here to schedule a consultation. JL represents clients across the Greater Houston area, including Clear Lake and Friendswood. Her practice areas include DWI, BWI, domestic violence, drug possession, and family violence, among others.