How Does a Domestic Violence Charge Affect You
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If you are charged with domestic assault, you need a lawyer immediately. Make no mistake, even a misdemeanor charge can have a life-altering impact on your future. Do not take chances by representing yourself or trying to “work it out” with your spouse. Call an experienced Greenville domestic violence attorney right away. Here are five huge ways that a conviction for domestic violence can ruin your life.
Child Custody
One of the fastest ways to lose a custody dispute is to get a conviction for domestic violence. In South Carolina, Section 16-25-10 provides specific penalties and rules applicable to domestic violence. Even minor injuries can result in a misdemeanor charge. But regardless of the severity of the charges, all convictions will cause a family court judge to question your suitability to be a custodial parent. It can impact your visitation rights and just about every aspect of a marital dissolution case. Sadly, some spouses use false accusations or exaggerations in order to get the upper hand in negotiations or to leverage their case. You should fight these false charges as hard as you can. Too much depends on the outcome.
Job Prospects
Believe it or not, there are tons of jobs you can’t take if you have a domestic abuse conviction. For instance, many federal jobs prohibit you from working in jobs involving transportation or shipping. Likewise, under the federal Lautenberg Amendment , even a misdemeanor conviction for domestic assault will entirely prohibit you from jobs in law enforcement or military service. This leads to the underlying reason – gun ownership.
Gun Ownership
Domestic abuse convictions can make you ineligible for gun ownership. That’s right, you can give up your unfettered Second Amendment right to bear arms if you are convicted of domestic assault. Hence the reason why you also lose the right to serve in the military or in jobs involving guns, like law enforcement or security. Likewise, you may be restricted from taking jobs in public schools, social services, and even many healthcare jobs or jobs working with the elderly.
Voting Rights
If your conviction is a felony, you will lose the right to vote – at least until you’ve completed all terms of your sentencing, including probation, parole, restitution, and so forth. If you violate probation or parole, your rights will not be restored until you have fully met all court requirements. This is a significant deprivation of your rights.
Housing Options
Many public housing programs prohibit those with domestic violence convictions and felonies in general. Grants aimed at helping people afford their first home or down payment assistance programs typically have restrictions on felons.
Fighting Your Domestic Violence Charges
A Greenville domestic violence lawyer can work to build a defense to your charges. Many times, the alleged victim has painted the situation with a broad and unfair portrait of the facts, and it can take the skill and experience of a criminal defense lawyer to get to the truth and present the facts in a light that tells the real story. Lauren Taylor Law is available to meet with clients throughout the Greenville area. Call or visit us online to learn more.
South Carolina divorce attorney Lauren Taylor practices family law in Charleston and Greenville. She graduated from the Charlotte School of Law, and has been practicing for more than ten years.
Since the firm’s inception in 2012, Mrs. Taylor has helped hundreds of people navigate the uncertainties surrounding the family and criminal court process.
She has cultivated a team that ensures each case has a strategy crafted specifically to the clients needs and desires.
Her commitment to top notch service has led her to open two additional offices in the low country where she now resides with her husband Michael and her golden retriever, Buster.