How Much Does It Cost to Get a Record Expunged in Florida?
Thanks to recent changes to Florida state law, more people have the right to apply for certain records related to previous arrests, criminal charges, and some court verdicts to be either sealed from public view or permanently destroyed. Record sealing and expungement can be important to your long-term interests, but these services are not free and can become expensive in some situations.
How much it costs to get a record expunged in Florida depends on when you submit your initial expungement petition, what court has jurisdiction over your case, and what kind of legal support you retain to help you through the process. An experienced Attorney at Leifert & Leifert can review the specifics of your case, but here is a broad overview of the various costs, fees, and charges you may face during an expungement petition.
Court Costs and Fees for Expungement
To apply with a court to have any part of your criminal record sealed or expunged, you will typically need to pay court costs of around $42, although these costs are subject to change depending on the court and when you file your petition. You will likely also need to pay a $75 fee to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to process your petition and take the steps necessary for expungement.
As part of the process, you may need to make and mail out certified copies of legal documents related to the records you want to have expunged. This can incur additional costs for document printing, copying, mailing, notarizing, or initial retrieval from government-run systems. You can expect to pay between $120 and $250 for all these processing fees during your expungement case.
How Much Does an Expungement Attorney Cost?
Every Attorney handling expungement cases will have their own pricing structure and terms, but many charge a flat-rate fee for this service instead of charging by the hour. Depending on the complexity of your case, the Attorney’s experience, and what kind of caseload a particular Attorney prefers to take on, the fee for assistance with an expungement application can range from $250 to $750.
Some Lawyers also include court costs and fees, such as the ones mentioned above, as part of the flat rate they charge for expungement services. Rather than having to handle those fees yourself, you can just pay an Attorney once, and they will take over for you from there. You can also purchase other services related to criminal record sealing and expungement from your Lawyer after the initial petition concludes, for example, additional work with removing your record from privately operated background check services.
You may be concerned about how much it could cost to get a record expunged in Florida, and it can sound like a lot of money right now. However, getting help from a skilled legal professional will ensure your expungement petition goes as smoothly as possible, giving you the best chance possible of securing a favorable final result. Call Leifert & Leifert today to learn what our Attorneys can do for you.
