It’s that time of the year again to seriously consider clearing up your criminal record. Right now is a good time because it takes almost a year to seal or expunge your criminal record.
There are three things you need to remember about expungement/sealings:
- Who qualifies? You only qualify if you have never been convicted of a crime. This means you were never adjudicated guilty.
- This is a point of common confusion with clients, and we’re happy to check for you. If you’re not sure the best way to do it, get an FDLE background check; it only costs $24.
- You must remember, you can only seal or expunge one case in a lifetime, so choose wisely.
- Example- A person has two charges: In the first, they were given a notice to appear. The charge was dropped after a pre-trial diversion program and qualifies for an expungement. In the second it’s an arrest where the person entered a plea and had adjudication withheld. This person still qualifies for an expungement on the first case in the sealing on the second case.
- Which one do you choose? My suggestion would be to do the second one, simply because it would allow you to deny ever being arrested and ever entering a plea.
- Example- A person has two charges: In the first, they were given a notice to appear. The charge was dropped after a pre-trial diversion program and qualifies for an expungement. In the second it’s an arrest where the person entered a plea and had adjudication withheld. This person still qualifies for an expungement on the first case in the sealing on the second case.
- How much will all of this cost?
- Our fee structure is simple. We charge a flat fee of $950, which can be broken up into payments over six months. There is a $75 fee to the Florida Department of law enforcement and a $3 fee to the clerk. There’s also a fee under $60 to the Clerk’s Office at the end of the process.
For help with expungement, or another criminal law matter, please contact our attorney directly at (904) 615-8950 or schedule a consultation online.