After your DUI arrest, it is important to understand how that will affect your life. Your driving privileges, finances, and personal time are just a few areas of your life touched by your arrest. Read on to learn what you need to know about life after a DUI arrest in Michigan.

1. You'll Need to Find an Alternative Source of Transportation

Expect to lose the ability to drive after getting a DUI. The exact amount of time you will be without a driver's license varies based on the charges against you. For lesser charges, you may lose your license for as few as 30 days. After the 30 days, you can apply for a restricted driver's license so that you can travel to certain specified places, like work or school.

If you have had a prior DUI or are arrested on more serious charges, you may have your license suspended for a year before you are able to procure a restricted license.

While you are without a license, transportation alternatives include public transportation, carpooling with friends and coworkers, or hiring a ride service.

2. Your Finances Will Take a Hit

It is important to understand how a DUI harms your finances so that you can take steps to prepare. On average, first-time offenders pay between $8,562 and $10,962 for a DUI.

The cost of a DUI includes a multitude of components, including your fines, restitution, bail, the cost of driving school, attorney fee, and the expenses associated with regaining your license. You can also expect to pay increased auto insurance costs for years after a DUI.

To cover these costs, you may have to reduce your monthly spending, pull money from your savings, or take out a loan.

Another cost to consider is the price of missing work. If you do not have paid time off to cover your absences, the time you miss to serve jail time or appear in court results in a smaller paycheck.

3. Time in Jail is a Possibility

Michigan seeks to deter driving while intoxicated with stiff penalties, even for first-time offenders. If this is your first DUI, your sentencing can include up to 93 days in jail. For a second offense, the maximum sentence lengthens to a whopping year.

Remember, that even if your sentence contains the maximum number of days, this does not mean you will have to serve the full amount of your time. You can earn good behavior credits that reduce the length of your sentence.

Consider how you will tend to your responsibilities if your sentence does include jail time. Remember to make arrangements for the care of your pets, and see that a trusted individual keeps an eye on your property while you serve your jail time.

4. Hiring an Attorney With Experience Dealing with a DUI Arrest Can Lessen the Aftermath

After your arrest, it is tempting to minimize the ramifications to your finances by not hiring a lawyer. However, this can cost you more money in the long run. Hiring an experienced DUI lawyer is one way to lessen some of the consequences associated with a DUI conviction.

Your lawyer can review the details of your arrest and see if there are any aspects to dispute. For example, if the breathalyzer reading seems incorrect based on the results of your blood test, your lawyer may request servicing details of the breathalyzer device to prove that it was incorrectly functioning.

DUI lawyers also know how to navigate plea deals and what constitutes a "good" deal. A lawyer may have the ability to procure a conviction on a lesser charge that does not have the same consequences as a DUI conviction.

Worried about your DUI arrest? Contact Bales Lepley And Rubin today for a consultation with one of our experienced attorneys.