What is the process and price range for getting your record expunged?

On the issue of legal fees, every lawyer charges according to their own business plan. As every case and every client is /are unique, personally I do NOT quote legal fees based simply upon the charges . Rather, fees are quoted only after having reviewed all readily accessible law enforcement reports, meeting and interviewing the client, getting as realistic as possible feel for the facts, circumstances, likely admissible evidence and reasonable probabilities of the case, identifying and agreeing upon a litigation objective and then determining how much time and effort will have to be expended in attempting to reach the client's goal. In this way I can be as fair to both the client and myself as is possible. As to the issue of hiring a lawyer, we (participating lawyers) are not permitted to solicit business for either ourselves or for other lawyers. I can, however, offer you the following 2 suggestions: 1) Use the "Find a Lawyer" feature on to locate lawyers in a given geographical area and /or 2) Go to the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers homepage (www.facdl.org) and use their Locate a Lawyer feature. More I cannot offer you along these lines and on this forum. Still, I hope that I have been helpful in answering your question.

Every lawyer is different. We charge a range but I can assure you of one thing. Lawyers who charge cheap usually deal I. High volume and typical have lower paid staff. What does that mean to you? Why should it be important? The process of expunging your record is simple typically but lawyers are in court every day and if they do not have high quality support staff pushing your expungement process, I can tell you that process can be delayed. Do your homework, read your reviews and hire someone based on quality not just price. Good luck to you!

Speak to some lawyers to see first if you qualify for an expungement and then get prices. It takes at least 6 months sometimes up to a year.

Fees are different at every law firm. But you should retain an attorney for this service after you have checked out their competence, qualifications and experience. Some attorneys do more work than others and some have more experience than others. However, if you do not do it right, in the end you are bound to have your record show here or there. Some attorneys not only go through the entire process of qualifying you through the state attorneys office, then through the Department of law-enforcement, then through the court and follow up by making sure the Internet is clear of private companies who continue to carry your mug shot an arrest record despite the judges court order. An attorney can threaten these companies with contempt of court and force them to remove these records. It is up to you but don't skimp on fees when it comes to your record and your future. Get a competent attorney that charges you a fair fee, gives you a payment option that you can afford and treats you like a human being. You can hire any criminal defense attorney in the state to do this, you don't have to hire a local attorney for the service. But my advice is that you hire a criminal defense attorney to do this and not attempt to do it yourself. He will thank me for this advice at some point

As you can see, attorneys charge differently. Some firms including myself would do an affordable payment plan for an expungment if the client wishes. Why? Because I believe everyone should expunge there record when it comes to dismissed or dropped felonies. I can tell you that the process takes quite a while so this is a decision you would want to make quickly so you can start the process asap. You first have to see if you are eligible. The best thing to do is research firms, call a few and hire the one you deem best.

Shop around. Lawyers are not permitted to solicit your business when answering these questions. Use the Find a Lawyer button at the top of the page. Talk to several lawyers.

Several factors determine eligibility for sealing or expunging your record. First, the offenses you wish to address must meet the eligibility requirements. Second, you can’t have any convictions on your record from prior offenses. Third, to have your record expunged, the charges must have been dismissed. To have your record sealed, you must have received a withhold of adjudication. An adjudication of guilt (a conviction) will disqualify you from the process. If the charges were dismissed, you’ll want to have your record expunged, not sealed. Expungement is the deletion of the record and it offers you better protection from prying eyes. Finally, you can’t have applied for a sealing or expunging in the past. You’re only permitted to do it once in your lifetime, with the only exception being a juvenile matter that was administratively expunged following a diversion program. As for pricing, doesn't allow us to share that information in this format. In order to know what each lawyer charges, you'll need to e-mail or call him or her to get more information. That said, there are costs associated with this process that will run you roughly $150.00 or so. Typically, it will take roughly 6 months or more to complete an expungement, so the sooner you begin, the faster you'll be through. Finally, make sure to talk to the lawyer you hire about mugshots on line and what can be done to address that issue, as it's outside the scope of what the court order addresses.

The expungement process is not complicated for any attorney that regularly practices in this area. The law is straight forward. Therefore attorney fees should not be that high unless you are paying for a lot of staff and bluster. The best way to determine what is a fair price is to talk to several attorneys (over phone is fine) and see if that experience along with what they are charging is suitable for you. Avoid the "nationwide" law firm. No matter how cheap their services are they are paying another attorney to do the work. I've had to redo or appeal many mistakes made by them.