Every crime comes with legal consequences, requiring a skilled defense attorney to defend you in court. There are also nonlegal consequences, which, depending on the severity of the crime, can be much worse to deal with in the long term. Choosing to drink and drive is a mistake, but if you find yourself arrested and charged with a DWI or DWAI, you will find there are several other impacts of the arrest beyond the legal side.

This blog will dive deep into several non-legal consequences of a DWAI (Driving While Ability Impaired), such as rehabilitation, finding a new job after, paying the cost of legal and for court cases, increased insurance, or something as simple as the personal consequences you face with your family or how you feel psychologically dealing with the DWAI. 

The Heavy Toll of Paying for Your Legal Defense

Get yourself into trouble, and you pay in more ways than one. One of the most costly of them all is paying your fees for legal defense when you go to court. In the state of New York, there is a massive cost that comes with a DUI, DWI, and DWAI. 

More Info: Differences Between DWAI, DUI, and DWI

If you're a first-time offender, a DWAI can carry a fine of $300-$500. Depending on your financial situation, the fees for other costs such as posting bail, court costs, and paying any towing charges or impound fees can range in the thousands. Plus, you're going to need a good attorney, which can add on a few thousand. There are public defender options if you can't afford an attorney, but you will find they don't have the same approach or attention as a skilled, paid attorney.

Thankfully, for anyone involved in a DWAI, DuBois Law has you covered with being able to afford quality representation. We offer a third-party finance management company called ePay Management to help, and for more information on them, read our financing options page.

The Cost of Seeing Your Insurance Increase

Your car insurance premiums will increase due to the DWAI, and there are some variables included within that increase that you must look out for. Examples include where you're located, the kind of car you drive, or if you have committed any other crime. 

Insurance companies will see your driving history as high risk, and this is why you will see it increase. Then, if they are compelled to do so, the next worst thing that could happen is that they cancel your insurance or give you a non-renewal. You'll pay more for your coverage, and this will impact your other financial purchases and force you to cut back on what you pay for. 

Rehabilitation and Being Able to Find a New Job

Current Employment
Ideally, this won't cost you your job per se, but there will be a period of time where you may end up with what's called a conditional license. You will need to stay off the road unless you're driving to work or school. If you are a repeat offender, you could end up with an ignition interlock system that will require you to blow into it to measure your BAC to ensure you aren't drinking and driving. You may need a ride to work or two in the early stages of earning your license back.

Future Employment
Depending on what job you look for in the future, the consequence of a DWAI will leave employers looking in the opposite direction and pick someone else. If the future job requires driving of any kind, say for a business trip, you may be required to undergo background checks, or the employer will not take the risk and move on from you as a candidate. Delivery, CDL, and other driving jobs will probably be off the table for a few years.

Rehabilitation Efforts
A DWAI comes when you're impaired by the combined influence of drugs and alcohol. Prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, illegal drugs, and alcohol are all examples. In this case, you might have to consider looking into rehabilitation. You will need to prove to the court that you are doing what you can to lessen your sentence. All details will be provided to you by a good DWI defense attorney. If you go through with this, there's a possibility it can help you in court and reduce your penalties. It enables you to get better, and it also makes our job of defending you easier. Of course, it's not free, and will cost you a few dollars to accomplish.

The Weight of How it Can Affect You Psychologically 

As with either a DUI, DWI, or a DWAI, committing any of these crimes is going to leave a lot of burden on your shoulders and affect the rest of your life in the worst ways. The psychological effects of both legal and non-legal consequences of committing any crime will not be easy to take in, and it's on you to handle what comes in the future. There are certainly other challenges that accompany being arrested for a drinking and driving arrest. You won't be able to go to Canada, for example, for a few years. 

Regarding the actual case itself, make sure that you plan everything out with your attorney. DuBois Law will help you in any way we can, but it's also your responsibility to understand the best and worst-case scenarios. This will help you prepare mentally and financially, no matter the outcome. Having a quality DWI defense attorney is the best next step you can take toward a better life.

Finally, more than anything, you will have to deal with the emotional responses of your friends and family. It's best to have them help you in this time of need, but you must also understand that they will be just as emotionally stressed. Our job is to defend your case, but it is also important that we remind you of the significance of these moments in time. 

If you find yourself in the middle of a drinking and driving case, it's recommended that you find a talented, experienced DWAI defense attorney who will fight for your case. You can trus Dan DuBois to do that. We Understand. We Never Judge. Give us a call or fill out our contact form to get in touch with Dan and learn more today.

DISCLAIMER: PAST RESULTS DO NOT GUARANTEE FUTURE RESULTS. THIS BLOG POST IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE, DANIEL DUBOIS AND/OR ANY DUBOIS LAW ATTORNEY(S) ARE NOT YOUR ATTORNEY(S) UNLESS RETAINED. INFORMATION SHARED HERE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. EACH CASE IS UNIQUE AND IS DECIDED BASED ON ITS OWN FACTS AND MERITS AND CANNOT BE COMPARED TO OTHER CASES, WHICH MAY HAVE HAD DIFFERENT FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES.