Hire An Experienced Lawyer
After you have been released from custody, you need to find an experienced DWI lawyer to represent you. Your lawyer will be able to determine what the best possible defense will be and they will give you the best chance of success for beating the case. The lawyer will also investigate the case and ensure that all your rights are protected. Your lawyer will also work with the prosecution and judge to give you the best chance of having the case dropped or the charges reduced.
Follow Legal Advice
The next step you should take is to show up at all your court dates on time and stay away from any additional legal trouble. In most states, arrestees will have to show up at court 30 days after the date of arrest. Once you are in court, you may be advised to take the plea bargain being offered. This is generally the best way to avoid a conviction.
Plea bargains are an agreement made between you the defendant and the prosecution through your lawyer. What generally happens is that you will need to plead guilty. This might sound concerning, but it can actually be a good thing. When you do this, you could have a reduced charge or sentence and you might not have to go through a trial. Read about it here.
Pay Off The Dues
After court, you will need to look at paying off the court costs. If you have been convicted, you will also have fines to pay. There is also a chance that additional punishment is given out by the judge which could be probation or classes that could cost you money.
Other than the fines and punishment, you will also have to think about the insurance rates. It is likely that your insurance premiums will increase or your policy could be terminated. This will happen once the insurer learns of your DWI.
Find Out Your Drivers License Status
In most cases, your license will be suspended, but it could be revoked for a set amount of time. This will usually be 6 months to a year. After the suspension, you have to start a course of action that will get your license reinstated. This process should start around a month before the suspension is going to end.
This process will start at the local Department of Motor Vehicles. You will have to fill in the reinstatement form which has a fee attached. You will then have to fill in tan SR-22 form which confirms that you have insurance. From there, you will need to pay your fines before you can get your license back.
See If You Can Get Your DWI Expunged
You may want to look at getting your DWI expunged if you want your record to stay clean for work or school. If it has been long enough and you do not offend again, you can get the record expunged. This will seal the arrest from your record permanently and all the information will be destroyed. Of course, you will need to check what the local state laws say about this. They will impact the course of action you need to take to get your record expunged.