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What To Remember About Expungement/Sealings

Image of a gavel next to a document titled “Criminal Record” with “expungement” handwritten.
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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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

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