If you have a criminal conviction then you are likely worried about how it’s going to affect the rest of your life. There is no point in pretending that a criminal conviction won’t change certain aspects of your life because it mostly likely will but that doesn’t mean you can’t make the necessary adjustments.

When it comes to criminal convictions, one of the most important things to be aware of is whether your conviction is spent or unspent.

Spent vs unspent convictions explained

The purpose of spent and unspent convictions is to give people who have been convicted of less serious crimes a chance to rehabilitate completely and not have to be burdened by declaring their conviction to insurance providers and employers for the rest of their life.

When a conviction is ‘spent’ you no longer have to declare it. The amount of of time before a conviction is spent will depend on the severity of the punishment you received. Some convictions, for example those that come with extended prison sentences, will never be spent. Check this guide for a detailed explanation of the ROA and spent and unspent convictions.

Finding work

One of the biggest worries that people with a conviction have is being able to find employment again. This is certainly not an unfounded concern since most employers will do background checks and be able to see if you have any criminal convictions. Generally the best policy when it comes to employers is to be as honest as possible and explain the circumstances around your conviction and how you’ve moved on since. This isn’t guaranteed to work of course since some employers will be put off by the notion of hiring somebody with a criminal conviction but there are those who will be prepared to give you a chance, particularly if your conviction was for a less serious crime.

Getting car insurance

When it comes to getting car insurance when you have a conviction, the best idea is to seek out quotes from specialist convicted drivers insurance providers. The good news is that getting quotes is incredibly quick and easy, especially when you use a site such as Conviction Insure. Getting a lot of quotes is one of the best ways to save money and the good thing about getting cover from a specialist provider is that they’ll take your unique circumstances into account and be able to offer you a policy at a fair price.