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Expungement / Sealing of Florida Criminal Arrest Record
Florida Attorney Michael T. Heider can help seal or expunge your Florida criminal arrest record. Sealing or expungement may not be available to everyone with a criminal history record. Please read the materials on this site thoroughly to see if you may be a candidate. NOTE: IF YOU HAVE BEEN ADJUDICATED GUILTY OF ANY CRIMINAL OFFENSE, YOU WILL BE INELIGIBLE FOR CRIMINAL HISTORY SEALING OR EXPUNGEMENT. IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED A WITHHOLD OF ADJUDICATION OR PLED NOLO CONTENDERE TO ANY OF THE CHARGES LISTED HERE, YOU WILL BE INELIGIBLE TO SEAL OR EXPUNGE THOSE CHARGE(S) THAT RESULTED IN A WITHHOLD OF ADJUDICATION. IF YOU ARE UNSURE OF THE FINAL OUTCOME OF YOUR CASE, SUBMIT YOUR INFORMATION FOR REVIEW BY AN ATTORNEY BY CLICKING HERE, OR CALL OUR OFFICE.
Are you "handcuffed" to a Florida criminal arrest record?
Have you been arrested in Florida, but never convicted of a crime? Are you tired of a mistake haunting you on job applications and background checks? If you answered yes to these questions, there is hope. Florida law provides that certain criminal arrest records stemming from a single arrest or incident may be either sealed or expunged, which means you can deny the record exists in all but a few instances, and it will not show up on most background checks. If you were a juvenile when you were arrested, please click here.
How a licensed Attorney can help you:
By hiring an attorney, you can be sure that your petition for criminal record sealing or expungement will be handled in a timely and professional manner. Although most firms charge between $500 and $1,000 dollars, plus filing fees and court costs, our fee is only $375, plus a $75 charge paid to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. If you request that we obtain a certified copy of your final disposition, there is a $25 fee charged. WE PAY ALL COURT COSTS! In the event a court hearing is required, an additional appearance fee of $250 dollars is charged. Most petitions for sealing or expunging do not require a court hearing, however. This means you normally pay no more than $450-$475, no additional costs or fees! We invite you to compare our low fee to other law firms and form services. Rarely do other firms fees include court costs, which can run between $40-80.
REQUIRED STEPS
FEE Initial attorney consultation and review to determine your eligibility to apply for a sealing or expungement.
NO CHARGE! Cost to obtain certified copy of final disposition from clerk of court. (You can obtain this yourself, we offer to obtain it for your convenience.)
$25.00*
* not included in totals below since this is not a necessary cost
Fee charged by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to conduct a background check. (This is only required if you do not have the necessary information about your arrest.)
$23.00*
* not included in totals below since this is not a necessary cost
Fee charged by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to apply for a Certificate of Eligibility.
$75.00
Preparation/completion of: Application to obtain certificate of eligibility and all the necessary steps and documents to petition the court to seal or expunge your Florida criminal history record. NOTE: DOES NOT INCLUDE APPEARANCE FEE IF COURT HEARING IS REQUIRED
$375.00
Court appearance fee. (Not required in most applications.)
$250.00
Court filing fees (usually $40-$80) INCLUDED!
TOTAL COST W/O HEARING:
TOTAL COST IF HEARING IS REQUIRED:
$450.00
$700.00
PLEASE NOTE: There are many websites out there that claim to offer sealing and expungement services at a low price. However, only an attorney licensed in Florida can give you advice as to what your rights are under Florida law. More importantly, non-attorney form services can't go to court for you or file a petition with the court on your behalf. Finally, most websites do not fully disclose all the costs involved in the sealing/expungement process. The total costs listed on our website include every possible fee/cost required to seal or expunge your record. Please thoroughly research any firm/company claiming to offer the ability to seal or expunge your Florida criminal history record. I strongly urge you to only hire a licensed Florida attorney to handle your case. Before retaining a lawyer, verify they are a member in good standing with the Florida Bar and do not have any disciplinary history here.
What is the first step you need to take to get your Florida criminal arrest record sealed or expunged?
Please carefully read all the information on this website to find out if you qualify as a potential candidate for having your Florida criminal history record sealed or expunged. If you determine you do qualify, or are unsure, submit your case information via our "Free Consultation" page. Attorney Heider will gladly review your charges at no cost and tell you if you may qualify for sealing or expungement. Once it is determined you do qualify as a candidate for the sealing or expungement of your criminal history record, The Law Offices of Michael T. Heider, P.A. look forward to being afforded the opportunity to represent you!