If you’ve been arrested for driving under the influence (DUI), it can become an overwhelming and stressful situation - especially if this is your first incident. However, the tips provided below will hopefully help you get everything in order and ease the worry and stress:

1. Request a hearing with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) as soon as possible. In many states there is a time limit to do this and you have only a certain number of days to schedule a hearing.  You can do this yourself, but it's advisable that you hire a drunk driving defense lawyer to do it for you. You want to make sure that the date of your DMV hearing doesn’t conflict with your DUI lawyer's schedule. 

2. Write down the details of your DUI arrest and tell your lawyer everything that happened. Your lawyer will be able to better assist you if you can remember detail for detail the events leading up to the arrest. What was the conversation between you and the arresting officer? What field sobriety tests did the officer use? Perhaps you may have said something that could be used against you during your trial. Did the arresting officer read you your rights?

3. Don’t lose hope if you were caught with a blood alcohol content (BAC) over .08%. The DUI defense lawyer can research to see if the device or method used to measure your BAC was accurate or not.  There are many factors involved that may have affect your BAC. The food that you ate while you were drinking, any medication you’re taking, or even your job could affect the results of a BAC test. There was a case in which a painter was arrested for a DUI because some of the chemicals in the paint caused the breathalyzer machine to register a high BAC. 

4. Hire a DUI defense lawyer that specializes in drunk driving.  There are many DUI lawyers out there, but you want to hire one who has experience and specifically deals with DUI cases.  You wouldn't hire a chef to fix your car problem, right?  Same concept applies to DUI defense lawyers.  You definitely want to hire someone who knows a great deal about DUI laws and procedures.

5. Remember to keep a positive attitude no matter what!  You can go through this by yourself, but it's always nice to have a lawyer to represent you who is experienced and knows what he/she is doing.  This will give you the confidence and assurance you need when it's time to face the judge!

Maria Palma is a freelance writer dedicated to helping people with their DUI in San Diego and making sure they hire an experienced San Diego DUI lawyer.