Chicago Criminal Lawyer Blog
The personal relationships you once had that were so strong and prominent in your life can take a major hit if you are charged with a crime in Chicago. It is important to know that a lot of people in your life might stop contacting you or even wanting to interact with you once they learn of your criminal history. This is not uncommon. There are always ways you can go about repairing those personal relationships. Let us take a look at how you can repair personal relationships that were damaged when you were charged with a crime in today’s post.
Make Initial Contact
It will be up to you to make the initial contact with all the people with whom you lost touch while in jail following a criminal charge. It is best to avoid handwritten letters, emails, and text messages right now. You will make more of an impact by calling or visiting the people with whom you want to reconnect. This shows them how important they are to you and how serious you are about reconnecting and rebuilding your relationship. It does not matter if it is your sibling, cousin, aunt, uncle, lifelong friend, neighbor, or even parent or spouse. The first impression you make will go a long way toward repairing the relationship.
Show Remorse
The people who were once fixtures in your life will want to see that you are remorseful for the crime you committed. They will want to know that you are sorry for your actions and that you are working toward living a better life now that you are free again. Remorse can go a long way when trying to repair the relationships that were affected by being in jail in Chicago or the surrounding areas.
Be Open to Discussion
Another important tip is to be open to discussion when contacting your friends and loved ones after being released from jail. People might have a lot of questions. You need to be open to discussing what happened and what went wrong when you were charged with a crime. Talking about the situation and your time in jail might be the only way some people will begin to trust you again and rebuild the relationship you once had. You could face some tough questions and should be open and honest when answering them.
Attend Therapy
There is nothing wrong with seeking help from an experienced therapist once you have been released. It can go a long way toward helping you repair the most important relationships in your life. If the therapist suggests attending a few sessions first by yourself and then with the person with whom you want to reconnect, it is a good idea to follow these orders. Having both of you sit down with the therapist to talk about your fears, emotions, disappointments and anything else bothering you with the situation can help mend what is broken. Just make sure you put to work any tips the therapist provides outside of the sessions.
Contact an Experienced Criminal Defense Attorney
The minute you are charged with a crime, your freedom is put in jeopardy. You do not lose all of your rights, though. In order to protect your rights and fight for your freedom, it is imperative that you speak with an experienced criminal defense attorney in Chicago. Contact the office of David Freidberg at 312-560-7100 to schedule a consultation about your case. Experience counts in situations such as these and Attorney Freidberg has been defending clients in Chicago for more than 20 years.
(image courtesy of Devin Avery)
