How You Can Benefit From Expungement of Your Criminal Record

Why Obtaining an Expungement is Beneficial for New Jersey Residents With a Criminal Record

There are many ways in which having a criminal record can interfere with your future. When you’ve committed a crime, the record of the crime is available to anyone who does a background check on you. This can include potential landlords or those who would approve a mortgage or other type of loan, as well as the school or university you want to attend. It can also cause an insurance company to raise your rates or even refuse to insure you. Having a criminal record may also make it impossible to adopt a child or to obtain any sort of professional license. You may not even be able to get food stamps or any other sort of federal assistance should you lose your job. If you have a criminal record, it’s time to learn more about expungement.

When Expungement is Granted

Getting an expungement means that your criminal record is essentially erased so that the general public and those who do a background check on you see only a clean record. Only certain parties can get access to your criminal record and this is basically on a need-to-know basis. This includes law enforcement officials and the military when you are applying for enlistment. However, a potential employer, loan officer or other party who would do a routine background check on you would see only a clean record after expungement. Even if you’re just dating and a person should look you up on a popular detective site to check and see if you have a criminal record, your record will be clean.

How Expungement Works

To start the expungement process, you must petition your local court to expunge one particular crime that you want to have removed from your record. This petition must be filled out in detail, giving information about the nature of the criminal charges and the reasons why you feel the crime should be removed from your record. It is helpful to be able to show the judge that you have made real efforts at rehabilitation. Some of these would include regular employment at a job, offering community or volunteer services, or membership in a local church group or similar. The expungement process is slightly different in different states and expungement of a crime may have somewhat different requirements, but basically, you want the judge to see that you’re trying to live an honest life.

Ensuring You Succeed

In order to ensure that you succeed in getting your expungement, you need to hire an experienced attorney. The paperwork that must be filled out to petition for an expungement can be complex, and an experienced criminal defense attorney is familiar with the language and can fill out the petition questions in a way that positively influences the judge who will make the decision. Don’t let a mark on your criminal record prevent you from moving forward with your life and making a positive contribution to society. With expungement, you can start over again with a clean slate.

Contact an Experienced Moorestown Criminal Defense Lawyer About Your Expungement in New Jersey

Were you arrested or charged with a crime in New Jersey? The consequences of a conviction could be severe, leaving you with a permanent criminal record and possibly even sending you to jail. That is why you need to speak with a qualified criminal law attorney as soon as possible about your case who can help you with expungements. The Law Offices of Michele Finizio have successfully represented clients charged with a crime in Camden, Cherry Hill, Medford, and Pemberton, and throughout New Jersey. Call 609-230-0374 or fill out the online contact form to schedule a consultation with a member of our legal team. We have an office conveniently located at 9 E. Main St., Moorestown, NJ 08057.

The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.