Hi C8720,
Although it’s not the best place to have put yourself, it is good that you have found this forum - rest assured we have all been in the situation that you are in now and have been or are going through the process.
I can fully understand the range of emotions that you feel when you get pulled over and breathalysed and the aftermath when what has happened sinks in; then the utter dread kicks in about how you feel your life is going to fall apart.
You can either go with a solicitor if you feel like it would be beneficial to your case, only you will know that, or just do it on your own. Although this saves money and stress, it’s quite a thing to go into a court room and speak up about your case, however it all depends on the circumstances surrounding the offence - if it was just a simple stop with no aggravating factors, it’s unlikely you will have to speak much other than to confirm your name and date of birth and how you intend to plead. You can also have a chat to the duty solicitor on the day to see if they would be able to come in with you - this all depends on how many cases there are on the day and their severity.
I honestly can’t say how your employer will react to the situation - anything to do with driving or anything high profile is obviously fairly terminal, however just be up front and honest with them and don’t try and cover anything up as things always come out eventually.
Although it’s difficult to do, try and put it out of your mind for a bit before the court date as stewing on it will only make in ten times worse in you head and you will tear yourself up inside.
Luckily for you, your breath reading doesn’t put you into the HRO category so you’ve saved yourself some heartache when it comes to getting your license back further down the road.
Please do keep in touch and let us know how your court appearance goes, you’ll find that once you’ve got over that hurdle, things will seem a lot brighter.
MM