How can an expungement attorney Redwood City CA offers help me?
How can an expungement attorney Redwood City, CA offers help me? Expungement is a procedure that releases a convict from the penalties and disabilities associated with their conviction. Not everyone is eligible, however. If you were convicted of a misdemeanor or a felony in California, you might be. An expungement attorney in Redwood City, CA from The Morales Law Firm can review your case and let you know if it is possible for you. If it is, our legal team can expunge your record on your behalf.
What crimes qualify for expungement with the help of an attorney in Redwood City, CA?
Our expungement attorney in Redwood City, CA handles all manner of cases involving crimes that qualify for this legal process. Below is an incomplete list of criminal convictions that can be sealed or expunged from your record. If the criminal charge or conviction that you’re concerned with is not on this list, talk to our expungement attorney in Redwood City, California to confirm whether or not it is eligible. These are many of the most common types of crimes that can be expunged:
- Felony conviction expungement. Employers and landlords as well as educational institutions often conduct criminal background checks on prospective employees, tenants, and students. Though you may have made a mistake years before, you are at high risk for a denial if your criminal record has not been expunged. In this way you can legally and ethically respond to any application that you have never been convicted of a felony.
- Misdemeanor conviction expungement. Even a misdemeanor conviction can prevent you from moving forward with your life. An expungement can reset your record so that your past will not interfere with your future.
- Infraction conviction expungement.
- Arrest record sealing.
- Driving Under the Influence (DUI) expungement. An expungement of a DUI conviction can make a tremendous difference in many people’s lives. This can include eliminating the effect this type of criminal record could have on one’s insurance premiums. If you work in the transportation field, having a DUI on your record could end your career and blacklist you within the industry. Contact The Morales Firm to speak with our expungement attorney in Redwood City, CA to learn more.
- Certificate of Rehabilitation.
- Juvenile record set aside.
- Juvenile record sealing. When someone is a youngster and makes a mistake, it shouldn’t necessarily ruin their life. Talk to our expungement attorney in Redwood City, CA about the nature of your child’s criminal offense and learn how we can help you.
To learn more about the expungement process, we encourage you to contact our attorney at our Redwood City, CA office to schedule a complimentary case review.
The Value of Expungement
As mentioned, expungement releases someone convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor from all penalties associated with their conviction. In practical terms, one example of why this is important is that it prevents an employer from asking a potential employee about whether or not they have ever been convicted of a crime. This can be of tremendous advantage because otherwise, it can be very difficult to get a good job with a criminal conviction on one’s record. As an expungement attorney in Redwood City, CA from The Morales Law Firm can tell you, this alone can be very valuable.
Who is not eligible for expungement?
An expungement attorney in Redwood City, CA can provide you with more information, but if you can answer yes to any of the following questions then you may not be eligible:
- Are you currently charged with a crime?
- Are you on probable for a conviction?
- Are you currently serving a criminal sentence?
- Were you convicted of sex crimes against children?
How does expungement work?
There are several steps involved that an expungement attorney in Redwood City, CA from The Morales Law Firm can oversee and guide you through. Here are the highlights:
- Your lawyer will review your case and circumstances to determine if you are eligible for expungement.
- Your lawyer will verify that all relevant laws and proposed legislation will not adversely affect your case.
- Your lawyer will file the expungement paperwork and make sure that all deadlines are met and prepared for the hearing that is required as part of the process.
- Your lawyer will attend the expungement on your behalf, making it unnecessary for you to attend if you do not wish to do so.
Information on Expungement and Child Custody
When judges make decisions in child custody disputes, they are bound by the “best interests of the child” standard. This standard obligates family law judges to focus on what arrangements will best foster a child’s best interests. And while judges are meant to make such determinations free from biases unrelated to the case at hand, judges are humans and therefore sometimes exercise subconscious biases and hand down unsound judgments as a result.
It is therefore important to understand that while a parent’s criminal history will not always affect a child custody determination, judges may exercise a subconscious bias against a parent with a criminal history. As a result, it is possible that expunging your criminal history in advance of your child custody hearings may benefit the outcome of your case.
Criminal History and Child Custody
Your criminal record should, on an objective basis free from subconscious judicial bias, affect your child custody dispute only if your record could somehow impact your child’s best interests. This means that unless your criminal record illustrates that you are unfit as a parent, too unstable to care for your child on a regular basis, or are otherwise prone to behavior that would be dangerous for your child to be exposed to, your record should not keep you from being granted custody or visitation of your child. Having broken the law in non-violent, isolated ways is not likely to inspire a judge to keep you from caring for your child. If this is the case, you should speak with a Redwood City, CA expungement attorney now.
With that said, if you are a repeat offender, a violent offender or have engaged in conduct that is deemed risky to your child’s best interests, your criminal record may impact your case negatively. For this reason, it is important to speak with an attorney about whether your records may be eligible for expungement or to be sealed.
Sealing or Expunging Your Criminal Record
It is worth noting that if your criminal record contains juvenile offenses that juvenile criminal records are not public and therefore do not generally need to be sealed or expunged. It is also important to understand that expungement is generally only available as an option when the offenses in question were classified as misdemeanors.
An expungement attorney in Redwood City, CA will be able to advise you if expungement is an option in your situation. In addition, an attorney will be able to advise you on how to minimize any damage your criminal record may cause to your child custody dispute as either an allegation that your care is not in the child’s best interests or as an object of subconscious judicial bias.
Legal Assistance Is Available
If you have questions about how your criminal record may impact your child custody dispute, please do not hesitate to contact an attorney from The Morales law Firm. You may or may not be eligible to seal or expunge your criminal record. But regardless of whether or not you are eligible for this action, speaking with an experienced attorney will help you to understand your options and craft a strong legal strategy for your child custody case.
Call Us for Help
If you would like to know if you qualify for expungement, give our office a call. At The Morales Law Firm, we offer a free consultation to anyone who would like to determine their eligibility. Our legal team understands the hardships of moving on after serving time for a criminal conviction and we would like to help you get your life back on track. Call us today to request a free and confidential consultation with an expungement attorney Redwood City, CA residents turn to for help.
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