Drinking and Driving: DUI Attorneys and Lawyers in Southern California

If you have received a DUI in Southern California and need an attorney, you might want to read on about my experience with someone that was driving under the influence (a DUI) in California. Right now you need to think about selecting the best attorney/lawyer for your Southern California DUI. Panicking will not help you right now - try to keep a calm head and work through this. More drinking can and could also make things worse right now. Keeping yourself together and seeking the right kind of help can also affect the outcome of your DUI. How you handle your DUI know will influence your future employment and whether or not you lose your license, and whether or not you may possibly receive jail time.

My experience is not first hand as I was never arrested for a DUI but someone close to me was. I was very involved in their case and learned alot about DUI's in the process.

First of all you are going to get alot of mail from lawyers and attorneys in southern California regarding your DUI. This might surprise you but believe me, DUI business is lucrative and lawyers are vying for your business. You may even get "coupons" or "checks" from attorneys offering you a discount if you use their service. These type of mailers are common and legitimate attorneys can and do use this approach. My friend ended up using an attorney this way, but only after he called several of them and found a lawyer that would not only work with him on a payment schedule but also showed him his track record as an "exclusive" DUI attorney.

Which brings me to the next tip when selecting an attorney for your DUI case in Southern California - choose a lawyer that specializes in drunk driving arrests. An attorney that specializes in California DUI laws will better help you navigate the sometimes complicated DUI process. A good DUI attorney can help you with not only the legal system but advise you on important points such as fines, possible jail time, potential community service and your future.

Another way to find an attorney in Southern California for your DUI is to choose attorneys online using the same process - talk to a couple (or even a few of them, and see which attorneys will work with you and who you feel most comfortable with) Most DUI lawyers will give you a free first consultation, either by phone or in person.

If you have injured someone in the course of your DUI a criminal defense attorney will probably be in order for you. DUI's are expensive, humbling and hopefully an eye awakening experience for the persons involved in drinking and driving. Thank God my friend did not injure anyone else when he was driving under the influence.

As we all know when someone drinks and drives they are putting innocent people at risk, and the court systems have gotten tougher on DUI laws, rightfully so. Despite this we all make mistakes sometimes and getting a DUI does not mean it is the end of the world. What is does mean though is that if you have received a DUI in Southern California you should look into an attorney to represent you because trying to do it yourself is not advisable. My friend ended up being able to keep his job with a restricted license, DUI classes, fines and informal probation. He was very glad he got an attorney because things could have been much worse for him.

Some DUI attorneys claim that they can get you "off the hook", even get your DUI dismissed, but I think that is probably the exception to the rule. I think minimizing damage by using an experienced Southern California attorney will be the best course of action if you are facing a situation like this. And of course, never driving drunk again!

(Dorsi Diaz is a freelance writer/publisher on the Internet and is in no way affiliated with lawyers or attorneys representing drunk driving offenders. This is strictly a personal opinion of the author and is intended as an informational piece only)