Monday, January 28, 2013

What is an Expungement and Why Do I Need One?



An expungement is the legal process by which a record of a criminal conviction is sealed. Obtaining an expungement is very important because it makes prior criminal convictions more difficult for employers and others to detect.

Top Reasons To Get Your Criminal Record Expunged:

1. Getting a Job

Finding a job is hard enough without having to deal with the added pressure of a prior criminal conviction lurking over your head. After your prior criminal record is expunged, the likelihood of an employer finding out is drastically reduced or eliminated completely, depending on the job you are applying for.

2. Peace of Mind

Being convicted of a crime is a life-changing experience that hangs over your head long after you’ve served your time and repaid your debt to society. Consequently, you never feel like you can start fresh because your prior conviction is a constant reminder of the past. Obtaining an expungement will help you feel truly free to move forward and start fresh.

3. Getting a Loan

This may come as a surprise, but a prior criminal conviction will most likely be viewed adversely by a financial institution. Often, banks evaluating your credit worthiness will view a prior criminal conviction as a sign that you will be unable to repay a loan timely. As a result, they may use information of a prior criminal conviction to disqualify your loan application.

4. Adoption

Starting a family is a common desire, and if you have a prior criminal conviction and want to adopt a child, your chances of doing so may be lessened by the presence of a prior criminal conviction. That's why getting your record expunged is so important. Fifteen states have made it illegal for any person with a prior criminal conviction to adopt a child. However, obtaining an expungement could increase your chances of adopting a child as long as your prior criminal conviction did not involve a child.

5. Relationships

Finding that special person to share your life with is a wonderful experience, but a prior criminal conviction could put your relationship in jeopardy. We live in a tech savvy world where gaining access to personal information is often just a click away. Criminal convictions are public record which means that anyone can easily discover that you have a prior criminal history. Often, a cautious girlfriend or boyfriend is willing to pay a nominal fee to obtain a background check. That is why getting an expungement is crucial to ensure your former misdeeds don’t jeopardize your current relationship.

6. It's relatively Easy and Inexpensive

In most instances, a prior criminal conviction or arrest can be expunged as long as you have completed your sentence, probation or parole and paid all of your fines. Compared to the cost of losing a good paying job, not receiving a necessary loan or losing out on a relationship with someone special, an expungement is very inexpensive.

So what are you waiting for? Call Baton Rouge Criminal Defense Attorney Rhett Spano now at (225) 387-8327 for a free consultation regarding an expungement. Or you can email me a question at rspano1@gmail.com. Also, be sure to visit my website at http://www.rhettspanolaw.com for additional information regarding selecting a criminal defense attorney for your expungement.