Skip to content Skip to footer

In some places, it is pretty hard to get gainful employment if you have committed a crime, particularly a felony. More importantly, having a criminal record can make it hard to support a family or gain custody of your children. It can also be hard to build personal relationships with others. Sometimes this skepticism is warranted. Sometimes it is not. If you are trying to move forward after a brush with the law and live a normal life, here are some good tips to doing what you need to do

Starting Over When You Have A Criminal Record

Avoid Any Behavior that Might Be Problematic

Regardless of whether your criminal record comes from something you did or something you were falsely accused of, certain behaviors in your life led you to that place. Avoiding those behaviors will give you a greater chance of not ending up in more legal trouble. Occasionally this might mean avoiding certain areas, no longer associating with certain people, or not participating in activities that have the potential to appear criminal. If you have any parole or probation, consult with the officer assigned to supervise you to make sure you are within the requirements of your parole or probation.


Many volunteering places check background records, but not all. If you are on parole, check with your parole officer to see what types of community service places there are that employ former criminals. Volunteering with reputable organizations can help rebuild your reputation and can help you avoid getting into the kind of situation that led to your criminal record in the first place.

Clean Up Your Record

This may be one of the most important steps in moving on with your life. There are ways to get your criminal record erased. To expunge your record, it is crucial to get the help of a good lawyer with experience in expungement. This process removes and destroys all court documents, including your arrest record. Additionally, if you are successful in expunging your record, you can deny that you were ever arrested or charged with a criminal offense. If it is not possible to expunge your record, your lawyer can provide information on additional legal methods to clean up your record.

A criminal record is not the end of life. There are still many good things to do. It just requires more effort to get them done. People who are willing to be tough and push forward succeed.