The Difference Between Having Your Record Expunged And Sealed In Florida

While everyone makes mistakes here and there, some missteps can have more significant repercussions than others. Specifically, making an error that leads to a criminal arrest can be incredibly detrimental to a person’s life. It is simply not ideal to have a criminal record. Still, sometimes things happen in life that have negative life implications. But when an arrest happens, one may wonder if there are any remedies to keep that blemish off of one’s record so it will not haunt them for years to come.

The way that it could be possible to conceal a criminal arrest is by having your record sealed or expunged. Though, not every person may qualify to have this benefit. It can be helpful if you have a criminal record to speak with an attorney for more information about the potential for sealing your record or having it expunged. In Florida, the Orlando record sealing and expungement attorneys at Joshi Law Firm, PA, can help you after you have had an encounter with the law.

How Are Sealing and Expungement Different?

A criminal record can make life much more difficult. For example, a criminal history may make obtaining loans much harder, it could keep you from being accepted to your preferred school, you may be unable to get your dream job, and you may also struggle to develop meaningful relationships with others. As a result, a person with a criminal record is at a significant disadvantage in life when compared to another person whose record is clean.

If you have your record sealed, you essentially are hiding your arrest. This can be helpful as those in the public will be unable to see your run-in with the law, and even better, a potential employer will not have that arrest revealed in a background check. But, a sealed record does not remove the criminal arrest from your history. This means that if a court orders your record to be unsealed, the arrest details will be made available.

By contrast, expungement completely rids your history of a criminal arrest. With an expungement, you will never have to worry about it showing up ever again.

There are very specific circumstances where expungement can be possible. One example would be if a person were mistakenly arrested, then the arrest may be expunged. Juveniles that were arrested for certain crimes may be able to complete various diversion programs. When this happens, they may be eligible to have their record expunged. These are just a couple of examples, other scenarios may also qualify a person for expungement.

Individuals that will not qualify for expungement will be those that plead guilty or no contest to their charges. Additionally, a person that was convicted of their charges will also be unable to have their record expunged. Or, maybe a person already had their record sealed or expunged. Since this is an action that only can happen once, there is no chance for it to happen again.

Speak to a Florida Record Sealing and Expungement Attorney Today

If you would like to have your record sealed or expunged in Florida, it may be possible. Reach out to the Orlando post-conviction relief attorneys at Joshi Law Firm, PA, by calling (407) 661-1109 to schedule a free consultation where you can learn more.