how to get a criminal record check

You thought that you already served the time for your latest crime, but you might not be done just yet. Having a criminal record will impact you for the rest of your life, no matter how you attempt to live your life to the contrary. Even once your sentence is over, the impact of it will follow you for years to come. It may make other areas of your life significantly more difficult as you try to reestablish yourself in society.

What is the real impact of a criminal record? Find out what you could be facing when you have charges on your official record.

Struggles with Unemployment

Almost three-quarters of all businesses make it a standard practice to run background checks on their new employees. The top reason that most of them make this a priority is to search for a criminal background. After all, this simple report will detail any felonies, misdemeanors, arrests, and warrants that you currently have against you. Employers do actually have the right not to hire you based solely on the contents of your background check. This may be due to enforcement of certain rules, workplace safety, or security concerns.

Having a difficult time finding a job may lead to other challenges in your life, particularly when it comes to your finances. You may have a more difficult time paying your rent or purchasing groceries without assistance. Financial dependence is a real struggle for those with a criminal record who have a hard time finding a well-paying position.

Child Custody Battles

After you serve your sentence or pay your fine, you may feel like your life is perfectly back to normal. You might even attempt to regain custody of your children. In other situations, you might be going through a divorce where you would like to win full or partial custody of the children. Either way, you will have a hard road ahead of you if you have a criminal record. The difficulty may depend on the type of charges found on your background check. For example, violent crimes or domestic violence will make it less likely for a judge to grant you custody of your children.

More Severe Consequences

If you haven’t learned the lesson from your actions, you may face more serious consequences the next time. Defendants who have a previous criminal record often have longer sentences, heavier fines, and more severe punishments when the court can see their prior offenses. This is definitely a reason to start changing your actions and avoid heading back to the court system. It will only make the other impacts of your criminal record more significant.

Try to avoid having a criminal record at all costs. You need the help of a practiced criminal lawyer who can encourage you to know your rights and defend yourself when the time comes. Matthew Gould can help you protect yourself and possibly avoid some of these major impacts of having a criminal record. Contact him today for more information on how he can help you!