Impact of a DUI on Divorce or Adoption

Answer: A collateral consequence of a DUI conviction could be a negative impact on a child custody situation pending in a divorce case and/or a family wanting to adopt a child. In those types of matters in those types of situations, the court will look at the best interest of the child and, obviously, the best interest will be to be placed in a safe environment. If someone is convicted of a DUI, that could be used against them in having custody granted, visitation rights or the ability to adopt a child. Therefore, it’s very important to aggressively defend a DUI case prior to a conviction to avoid that potential collateral consequence.