Few things put a damper on your life the way that a drinking and driving charge will. If you can defend yourself against one of these charges, you should do so at all costs. This means getting the assistance of a DUI attorney and following their advice as you go through the court process. It can feel intimidating and like you are a fish out of water if this isn't something you have ever had to do. 

For more help, read these tips and utilize them to defend yourself against a drinking and driving conviction. 

Find the assistance of a lawyer as early in the process as you can 

A lot of defendants make the grave mistake of waiting far too long to get legal representation. If you do this, you're not giving a lawyer enough time to put together a sound defense on your behalf. What's more, definitely never leave your case in the hands of a public defender. Instead, you should speak to five or six different law firms that can assist you. They will immediately begin working hard to uncover evidence, put together some defenses, and contact anyone that can serve as an expert witness. 

These are the matters that can be deciding factors in any case. A DUI lawyer might cost somewhere between about $800 and $2,000 if you are planning to take a plea bargain, and far more if you are thinking about taking the case to trial. Talk to the lawyer to get their take on how you should handle the charge. 

Explore options and opportunities to have the charges dismissed or downgraded

After speaking to your lawyer at length, you should begin to have an idea about whether or not you'd like to take your case to trial. Sometimes, a plea bargain is the best decision because it allows you to not face jail time or have the case downgraded to a moving violation. By getting the charge downgraded, you won't have to deal with a criminal conviction on your record that you'll need to explain later or have expunged. 

Not every state allows you to take a plea deal for reckless driving cases, so you should speak to your attorney to learn your rights. 

Regardless of how you end up addressing your DUI, the fact that you are taking it seriously is half the battle. These charges can create serious blowback in your life, so hire a lawyer that can assist you.