New York City Domestic Violence Consequences
Following an arrest for domestic violence charges, it is only natural that an individual may begin considering the consequences of their arrest. New York City domestic violence consequences can be life-changing, and can affect someone’s personal and professional life. That is why it is important for those who have been charged, to speak with a skilled domestic violence lawyer that could attempt to mitigate the penalties and potential consequences that a person may face.
Immediate Consequences Associated With Conviction
Of the New York domestic violence consequences associated with a conviction, the most immediate one is that a person now has a criminal record depending on what they are convicted of. Most domestic violence crimes are misdemeanors. The more serious ones can escalate into a felony. But also, there is an order of protection that is almost assuredly going to be issued upon a conviction, which can last anywhere from two to five years depending on what charges a person is convicted.
Orders of Protection
Orders of protection are another one of the serious New York domestic violence consequences that a person may face. It might be a situation where, for up to five years, a person has to be cognizant about where they go and what they do and have to avoid somebody and stay away from certain areas. They cannot go to certain social events if they share the same circle of friends. If there are any children in common, if there is any custody dispute going on, then that conviction is going to be a significant consideration in terms of who is going to take custody of the children.
Collateral Consequences Associated With Conviction
The longer-term New York City domestic violence consequences can be equally harmful for an individual. For example, if there is an extended order of protection for a couple of years, it can complicate what a person can and cannot do for years after a conviction. It could have long-lasting repercussions on a person’s ability to do the everyday things that normal people take for granted: getting a mortgage, financing a car, applying for jobs, applying to go back to school. Even opening a bank account can be difficult for somebody who has a criminal record as a result of a domestic violence conviction.
Those types of results are frequently are long-lasting. People do not realize when they have an open case just what the collateral consequences of a criminal conviction and an ensuing criminal record can be. If there is a child in common, any sort of long-term custody arrangement is going to be influenced heavily by the fact that one person is convicted of committing some sort of act of domestic violence towards the other. A judge in the family court hearing any sort of divorce or custody action is going to consider that when making determinations about how best to resolve those kinds of claims.
Potential Sentences
A person will also have to face whatever the potential sentence could be. Whether it is jail, anger management, community service, probation or whatever it is, it will be a disruptive force in a person’s life. It could impact their ability to find or keep their job. So, there are a number of different things that can come immediately after a person’s conviction.
Importance of Working With a New York City Domestic Violence Lawyer
Generally speaking, when a person is charged with a crime, the earlier that they contact a lawyer, the better. The best time to retain an attorney is before a person is even arrested. A lot of times, it is just not possible because most people do not know that they are going to be arrested beforehand, but in some cases, a complaint is made and a detective reaches out to the defendant beforehand and asks them to come down to the station, and having an attorney at that point is very important.
If an individual has been charged with domestic violence and now faces New York City domestic violence consequences, they should work with a skilled attorney that could advocate for them.