Your life changes instantly when a police officer stops you and arrests you for driving under the influence of alcohol. Getting slapped with a DUI can lead to hefty fines, prison time, community service, suspension of your driving license and many other consequences that can impact your life in negative manner. You could also end up losing your employment, since many companies have a morality clause embedded in their employment contracts. Breaking this clause can put your job in jeopardy, especially if you happen to be holding a coveted job position in a big and highly successful corporation.

The following are some of the consequences that result from getting charged with a DUI charge, and how to escape them:

1. Suspension of your driving license
   
   

This is usually the first and most immediate long term consequence of driving under the influence of alcohol. The action is immediate as it is monitored by a body different from the police and court systems. This body is the DMV, and once they get a notification of your arrest for drunk driving, they immediately suspend your driving license for a number of days and weeks pending the outcome of your trial. In some cases, you might end up not driving for more than a year; while in others (after a successful resolution of your charges) you will only have to wait for a week before driving your car again.

Having a good criminal defense lawyer can go a long way in reducing the amount of time that you will have to use a cab to go to work.

1. Loss of your freedom
   
   

The court judge may decide to jail you for a few months or even years, depending on the severity of DUI. If you caused a lot of damage to other people’s property, or if your reckless driving resulted in the death of innocent road users, you can rest assured that your punishment will be stern and harsh to hear. The sentence is particularly harsh if you happen to be a repeat offender for the same offense. This is due to the fact that being a repeat would be telling the judge that you did not learn from your previous experience in court and as such you require a tougher sentence to make you see the light.

1. Hefty prison fines
   
   

Depending on the severity of your drunk driving and the discretion of the judge, the amount of money that you will pay to the court as a fine for breaking the law will vary. In some cases you might only pay a few dollars but in other cases you might have to fork out a lot of money. Having a good criminal defense lawyer will help reduce the amount of money that you will pay as court fines.