Straight Answers to Thirty-four Frequently Asked Questions of Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey
Basic Concepts
Benefits and Limitations
Eligibility
Cost
Procedure
Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™
Basic Concepts
Q1. What is an expungement?
A. When a person is arrested, that person gets a criminal record. At a minimum, there is a record of an arrest. If the person is later convicted, then the person has a record of both an arrest and a conviction. These records follow the person over the years. Prospective employers can access these records. Insurance companies, landlords, adoption agencies, and prospective creditors can too. To expunge a criminal record means to go through a court process. Upon successful completion of that process, you get a court order signed by a judge. The court order states that the offense "...shall be deemed not to have occurred." Persons doing a background check through New Jersey State Police or through the FBI will receive a response that there is "no record." Additionally, after you expunge your criminal record, you are legally entitled to state that the arrest or conviction never happened.
Q2. Is an expungement the same as a pardon?
A. No. To expunge a criminal record and to get a pardon are two completely separate things. When an expungement is granted, the person whose record is expunged may, for most purposes, treat the event as if it never occurred. A pardon (also called “executive clemency”), on the other hand, does not “erase” the event. Rather, it constitutes forgiveness. An expungement can be granted only by a judge. A pardon can be granted only by the governor.
Q3. Expungement of records, expunction of records, sealing of records--what's the difference?
A. There is no difference between expungement of records and expunction of records. Those are just different terms for the same thing. Sealing refers to the situation where the court makes records unavailable to the public. Legally, the event in question still happened. But nobody (supposedly) can find out about it. Thus, all expunged records are sealed, but not all sealed records are expunged.
Benefits and Limitations
Q4. Are expunged criminal records destroyed?
A. Expunged records are not destroyed. Rather, they are segregated. That is, they are moved to special locations for expunged records. When ordinary record searchs are made, records kept in these special locations are not accessed. Thus the results of this ordinary search will be a return of “No Record.”
The procedure that New Jersey courts follow once an expungement has been granted is detailed in a document called an “Administrative Directive.” The particular document that specifies how the courts in New Jersey process expungement orders is Administrative Directive 16-08.
Q5. Why don't they simply destroy expunged records?
A. The New Jersey expungement statutes contain provisions under which expungements are not effective. These provisions include situations where a person is applying for employment with a law enforcement agency. Or where a person is applying for employment in the judicial branch of government. Or where a person is seeking a conditional discharge after having had a dismissal from a previous conditional discharge expunged. Or on sentencing for convictions for new offenses following the expungement. So records stored in these special locations are consulted in those situations.
Q6. Then in what situations are expungement effective?
A. There are many. Employment applications to be a teacher need not recite expunged matters. The same is true for employment applications to be a real estate broker, a stock broker, a banker, a hospital worker, a computer programmer, a taxi driver, a barber, or anything else, so long as it is not in law enforcement, or the court system. Applications to obtain professional licenses (other than to practice law) similarly need not recite court proceedings that have been expunged. After the court expunges the record, it no longer exists for purposes of an application to adopt a child. If you apply for admission to a school (except law school) or a professional organization, the expungement is completely effective: You need not recite matters that have been expunged.
Q7. Does this mean that I can never get a job in law enforcement, or in the court system, or that I can never become a lawyer?
A. It does not mean that at all. It just means that if you do pursue any of those activities, you would be required to specify prior arrests on the application when asked, even though they have been expunged. You can state that they have been expunged, but you still need to recite it. The government agency will then consider your entire application, including the expunged information, and approve or reject your application on that basis. Unless a statute specifies it (and almost none do), the recitation is not automatically disqualifying.
Q8. If I’ve had my criminal record expunged and I am later placed under oath and asked about the expunged matter, am I committing perjury if I deny that it ever happened?
A. You would be committing perjury (or “false swearing”) ONLY if you are asked in the context of one of the exceptions to the expungement statute. For example, if you deny it in the context of a sworn application for employment in law enforcement, you would be committing an offense. In all contexts other than the exceptions to the expungement statute, you can deny that the matter ever happened. You can deny it under oath. You would not be committing perjury or false swearing.
Q9. Won’t the FBI continue to report my criminal history?
A. As part of its processing, New Jersey State police notifies the FBI when history of an arrest or a conviction has been expunged. Federal law then requires the FBI to honor that information. This requirement is spelled out in the Code of Federal Regulations. More particularly, 28 C.F.R. Section 16.34 specifies, “Upon the receipt of an official communication directly from the agency which contributed the original information, the FBI CJIS Division will make any changes necessary in accordance with the information supplied by that agency.” The bottom line is that the FBI will then report that no record exists.
Q10. I am not a United States Citizen. Is there anything special I need to know about expungements?
A. Yes. Important federal exceptions to the effectiveness of expungement orders are the Department of Homeland Security, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Non-citizens applying for entry into the United States, or seeking naturalization, will likely need to divulge arrests and convictions, even after they have been expunged. Citizens seeking to cross international borders, for example travel to Canada, can remain subject to questioning concerning past arrests.
Additional considerations exist for non-citizens intending to apply for citizenship in the future. For example, persons seeking citizenship may need to furnish particular documents relating to past arrests. Expungement will make such documents difficult to obtain. Thus, non-citizens contemplating expungement may need to take extra steps before obtaining their final expungement Order.
Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™ strongly advise that persons facing such issues consult with an attorney who specializes in immigration law.
Q11. My record was expunged. Yet my criminal history still shows up when I apply for a job. Why?
A. Court records are open to the public. Private companies all over the country collect criminal history and other personal information from court records. These companies store that information on their own computers. In the normal course of things, no one informs these companies when a record is expunged. The courts do not even keep track of who has searched their records. Therefore the information that those companies previously stored can still be reported, not by the court, and not by New Jersey State Police or the FBI, but by these private companies. This exact situation was discussed in depth in an article in The New York Times on October 17, 2006. The Wall Street Journal also discussed this situation in an article on November 11, 2009.
There is no complete solution to this problem. A partial solution exists. That partial solution is to formally notify the largest private companies that do background checks that your record has been expunged. Reputable companies will remove arrest and conviction information upon receipt of such notification. Companies that refuse to do so expose themselves to civil and criminal penalties.
Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™ has identified approximately twenty-five of these companies. These twenty-five or so companies may account for as much as ninety percent of all private criminal history searches. Providing this notification is a service that Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™ offers. This notification is not part of the basic expungement process. It is an optional procedure available after the judge has signed the expungement order.
This optional procedure is often not necessary. Instructions on employment applications often specifically tell the applicant to omit convictions and arrests that have been expunged. In other situations, if the past arrest or conviction surfaces, the job applicant would likely need to explain to the prospective employer that the matter has been expunged, and show that person a copy of the court order granting the expungement. The applicant should also invite the prospective employer to check directly with the court or police agency. The court or police agency will report back that no record exists.
Q12. I was arrested for possessing a small amount of marijuana, and a pipe. I went to court and got a conditional discharge. After I successfully completed my probation, the court dismissed both of the charges. How will an expungement be of any benefit to me?
A. Since your charges were dismissed, you have no record of a conviction. However the original arrest remains on your record. It never goes away automatically. Its mere existence can put you at a competitive disadvantage. Your arrest record can cause an prospective employer to hire someone else equally (or less) qualified, instead of you. Discrimination against persons with an arrest record may be unfair, but it nevertheless exists. In order for your marijuana charge to not show up, you must have your arrest record expunged.
Q13. My convictions were expunged. Now I want to apply for a gun permit. Should I divulge those expunged matters on my firearms application?
A. No. In fact, questions on the official New Jersey Firearms Identification Card Application Form relating to past criminal convictions or arrests specifically exclude records that have been expunged or sealed. Your New Jersey expungement will also remove any federal firearms disability that arose on account of the New Jersey conviction. This follows from Title 18, Section 921(a)(20) of the United States Code. That provision states: "Any conviction which has been expunged...shall not be considered a conviction for purposes of this chapter, unless such...expungement...expressly provides that the person may not ship, transport, possess, or receive firearms." Note that if you previously had a gun permit that was revoked, you would have to divulge that fact, even if the reason for the revocation was conviction for an offense that was later expunged.
Q14. I was able to expunge my criminal record in New Jersey. Now I am seeking licensure in California to be a teacher. California tells me that I must divulge all past offenses, even if they have been expunged. Must I divulge it?
A. No authoritative answer to this question exists. Article IV, Section 1, of the United States Constitution requires states to afford “full faith and credit” to decisions of courts of other states. This Constitutional requirement is implemented by Title 28, Section 1738, of the United States Code. Expungement of a New Jersey offense is a decision of a New Jersey court. Thus it would seem that other states must recognize the expungement and consider the matter the same as it would be considered in New Jersey.
Unfortunately, it does not always work that way in practice. Public agencies in several states instruct applicants for professional licenses to divulge prior criminal matters, even when those matters were expunged in the state in which they arose. These requirements are specified in the statutes of those other states. Thus, for example, Florida Statutes 943.0585 and 943.059 require applicants to disclose prior expunged matters. 
Similarly, Section 44009 of the California Education Code considers prior criminal convictions regardless of the subsequent history of those offenses. The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing specifically requires information concerning past convictions, even after those convictions are expunged.
The United States Supreme Court has never ruled on whether such practices violate the Full Faith and Credit Clause. One United States Court of Appeals did. The Fifth Circuit held that such practices are legal. White v. Thomas, 660 F.2d 680, 685 (5th Cir., 1981), cert. den., 455 U.S. 1027 (1982), held that Texas requiring information concerning an out-of-state matter that was expunged does not violate Full Faith and Credit because Texas is not required to conform its practices to the law of other states. The issue has been resolved only in the Fifth Circuit.
Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™ disagree with the White v. Thomas decision. However, barring a better reasoned decision in any particular location, the safer course might be to divulge the prior criminal history, even though expunged in New Jersey. Issues such as these should be presented to lawyers licensed to practice in the specific jurisdiction in question.
Q15. Do I really need to have my record expunged at all?
A. The answer to this question depends on the value that you place on an expungement. On the one hand, a record of a criminal conviction, or even an arrest, can keep people from obtaining a much desired job. On the other hand, people are sometimes proud of their criminal records. This can happen, for example, when criminal records arise out of demonstrations for a worthy cause. Persons who are self-employed often have no need for an expungement. But even self-employed persons may need expungements. For example, they may want to be considered for government contracts. Or they may want to rent an apartment, or coach a local sports team, or adopt a child. What it comes down to is that this is a question that only you can answer.
Eligibility
Q16. Can anyone expunge his criminal record?
A. No. Whether someone is eligible for an expungement is determined by the law of the state where the event occurred. Thus a person who qualifies for an expungement in Nebraska may not qualify in New Jersey, since the law in each state is different. In New Jersey, the determination of who qualifies is quite complicated. Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™ know the factors to be considered to expunge a criminal record. These factors are set forth in the expungement statutes. They include the following:
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Is what the person wants expunged just an arrest, or was there also a conviction? |
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If there was a conviction, what was the person convicted of? Some convictions can never be expunged. These include convictions for murder, robbery, arson, kidnapping, perjury, and sexual assault. |
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How many times has the person been convicted? |
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When was the person convicted? |
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What was the person's sentence? |
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Were all fines paid? When? |
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Has the person ever previously had an expungement? |
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Are any charges against the person still open? |
An authoritative determination of eligibility requires a conference with Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™. However, you can obtain a preliminary assessment from an online questionnaire available right on this site.
Q17. How long must I wait before I can expunge my conviction?
A. All convictions require a waiting time before you can seek expungement. Dismissals also will require a waiting time if the dismissal resulted from successful completion of a diversion. These times are as follows:
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| Crime (Felony) | Ordinarily, ten years. The court will consider an application to expunge a felony conviction after five years. In such cases, however, the court will require you to show that granting the expungement is in the public interest. |
| Disorderly Persons Offense (Misdemeanor) | Five years |
| Petty Disorderly Persons Offense (Misdemeanor) | Five years |
| Juvenile Adjudication | Five years, or period for equivalent offense if committed by an adult, whichever is less |
| Municipal Ordinance | Two years |
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Young Drug Offender
(21 years of age or younger when offense was committed) |
One year |
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Dismissal following successful completion of diversion
(PTI or Conditional Discharge) |
Six months |
| Not guilty by reason of insanity, or not guilty for lack of mental capacity | These dispositions cannot be expunged |
| Dismissal, Other | No waiting time at all |
Q18. Do these times run from the date of the offense?
A. No. The times run from the date that the judge imposes sentence, the date you pay all of your fines, the date you successfully complete parole or probation, or the date you complete your jail or prison sentence, whichever comes last. A law that took effect on March 13, 2010, changed this requirement somewhat. Under this new law, the court may relax the waiting period relating to payment of fines if the court finds that fines were paid substantially on the schedule specified by the sentencing judge, or if we satisfy the court that compelling circumstances prevented you from paying your fines.
Q19. I was charged with a federal crime. What is involved in getting that expunged?
A. For the most part, federal arrests and convictions cannot be expunged at all. An exception exists for persons who obtained a "Special Probation" under Title 18, Section 3607 of the United States Code. That section relates to persons charged with simple possession of controlled dangerous substances. Ironically, this exception is available only to persons who have been found guilty of the offense. If a person was arrested, went to trial, and acquitted, 18 U.S.C. 3607 makes no provision for expungement of that arrest.
Q20. I was found guilty of driving while intoxicated. Your chart does not specify the waiting time before I can get that matter expunged.
A. New Jersey classifies driving while intoxicated as a motor vehicle offense. Motor vehicle defenses are defined in Title 39 of New Jersey Statutes. One of the New Jersey expungement statutes specifies that motor vehicle offenses defined in Title 39 cannot be expunged. For that reason, unless New Jersey laws change, your DWI conviction cannot be expunged, regardless of how much time has passed.
Q21. When I was nineteen, I pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Two lawyers have told me that that offense can never be expunged. Are they right?
A. Between the time you spoke to those lawyers and right now, the law has changed. Thus, although the crime to which you pleaded guilty originally could not be expunged, you may now be eligible. If your offense was possession with intent to sell, and if it was of the first or second degree, then records of that offense still cannot be expunged. If your crime was of the third or fourth degree, however, your records become eligible to be expunged. Before you can get those records expunged, the judge must make a finding that expungement is in the public interest. And you must still, course, meet all other requirements. Even if your crime was of the first or second degree, you may still be eligible, provided that your intent was to distribute without selling. This distinction is subtle, but important. All sales involve a distribution, but not all distributions involve a sale.
The Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division, addressed this subtlety on August 3, 2007, in the case entitled Expungement Application of G.R. What the G.R. court said is that convictions for possession with intent to distribute can be expunged provided that the distribution was to be gratutious. If the intent to distribute was to be in connection with a sale, then expungement must be denied.
Combining the new law with the decision in G.R., persons may apply to have convictions for possession with intent to distribute expunged. However, even under the new law, such applications will seldom sail through smoothly. The applicant will need to anticipate an objection from the prosecutor. An in-court hearing will then be needed. At this in-court hearing, the judge will consider the entire circumstances of the conviction. Where distribution or intent to distribute was involved, you may still have to convince the judge that expungement is the public interest. The final decision to grant or deny the expungement application will turn on that determination.
It is also important to note that the losing party after such a hearing has the right to appeal the judge's decision. The bottom line is that a person seeking to have this offense expunged should expect delays, court appearances, and a process that will likely be very costly with no guaranteed outcome.
Q22. I received an expungement a few years ago. Unfortunately, I was subsequently arrested again. Can I get a new expungement for those later charges?
A. Maybe. There is no limit to the number of times that a person can apply for and receive an expungement. However, when determining whether a person is eligible to have his record expunged, the court will examine the person's entire past criminal history, including matters that were previously expunged. Thus, to determine eligibility on the newest matters, the person's complete criminal history must be considered, as if the person had never previously received an expungement.
Cost
Q23. What does it cost to expunge my criminal record?
A. Cost depends on many factors. These factors include the following:
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For how many arrests is expungement being sought? |
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When did those arrests occur? |
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Do you have (or can you obtain) complete court records relating to all arrests that you ever had (including out-of-state arrests, and arrests for which expungement is not being sought)? |
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What arrests have you had for which expungement is not being sought? |
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Will anyone object to the expungement application? |
Cost also depends on which lawyer you use. Different lawyers charge different prices. These prices reflect the lawyer's experience, expertise in the area in question, and amount of time that the lawyer is willing to spend with his clients.
In many cases, Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™ will be able to provide you with an estimate of total costs during the course of an initial telephone conference or office visit.
Procedure
Q24. How long does it take to expunge a criminal record?
A. Until recently, the time to obtain the order of expungement after the necessary papers are filed with the court was about three months. Expungements in Essex County always took a couple of months longer. Unfortunately, Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™ are recently seeing a new trend. Court budgets tighten. Staffing is being reduced. Personnel who leave by attrition are sometimes not replaced. For some reason, courts often give expungement applications lower priority than other matters. Thus the time to obtain an expungement will seldom be less than three months, and it may actually be a few months more.
Q25. Must I personally appear in court to obtain the expungement?
A. In the vast majority of cases, no. Some situations, however, will require a personal appearance. One of those situations would be if someone objects to the application. And as explained earlier, if your offense involved possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute, a court appearance will likely be needed.
Q26. Even though the statute says that I qualify for an expungement, won’t the victim, or the cop who arrested me, object anyway?
A. The expungement statutes are very specific concerning who must be notified when a person applies for an expungement. Neither the victim nor the arresting officer are included amongst the persons who receive notice of the expungement application. Thus when a person satisfies all of the requirements of the statutes, it is rare that anyone will object.
Q27. I was convicted of prostitution. A few years after I was arrested I got married. I never told my husband about my past. Will he find out about it if I apply for an expungement?
A. The court mails all notices concerning an expungement application to the lawyer, and not to the person whose record is to be expunged. Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™ are discreet. If you alert us to the sensitive household situation, we will hold mail that we normally send to clients, and communicate with you only by e-mail, or by whatever other method you specify.
Q28. I was charged with possessing a small amount of marijuana a few years ago. I received a conditional discharge, paid fines, and successfully completed my probation. That is the only time I was ever charged with an offense. Can anything go wrong when I apply to have my record expunged?
A. No lawyer who is honest with his clients guarantees a particular outcome. In the situation you describe, the process should run smoothly. But always the possibility of something unexpected exists. These possibilities include the following:
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You were charged with another offense that you've forgotten about. |
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Someone else who was arrested used your name and your social security number. |
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You never actually completed all of your payments to the court. |
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You did complete your payments, but the court did not properly record it. |
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You did successfully complete your probation, but the court never formally dismissed the complaint. |
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Someone objects to the Petition, even though the objection has no legal or factual basis. |
That said, Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™ would add that while complications such as these sometimes happen, they are the exception and not the rule. Your own past court history and payment of fines is something that you likely are on top of. Those other situations happen but, fortunately, rarely. Most potential expungement problems are weeded out by careful review of the situation before filing the application with the court.
Q29. I would like to expunge my New Jersey criminal record. How do I begin?
A. The first step is to determine whether you qualify for expungement under NJ statutes. Making this determination is often straightforward. Sometimes, however, a detailed review is needed of all convictions and arrests that you have ever had. Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™ can provide that review. In order for us to do that, you may need to do some work first on your own.
Questions 16 through 22, above, provide information concerning eligibility. An expungement eligibility assessment is also available using our online questionnaire. This assessment can identify possible trouble areas. However, it is only preliminary. A more accurate assessment sometimes requires reviewing results of a criminal history search.
New Jersey residents seeking their New Jersey history can do so in various ways. The first way is to make arrangements with an outfit that calls itself MorphoTrak (formerly Sagem Morpho, Inc.) They are arrogant. You pay MorphoTrak $41.00 for the privilege of allowing them to belittle and humiliate you. To begin, you download a form that MorphoTrak calls NJAPS2, Version 4.0. This form contains instructions. These instructions are detailed and onerous. You complete boxes 9 through 26 on the form, and print it.
After completing and printing their form, you arrange for MorphoTrak to fingerprint you. To do that, you copy information from NJAPS2 onto a different form. This is the MorphoTrak appointment request form. You then follow the instructions on that form. Remember to bring your NJAPS2 form with you when you keep your appointment to be fingerprinted. Your history comes to you in the mail, usually within a couple of weeks after your fingerprinting.
If you reside outside New Jersey, but your entire court history was in New Jersey, an alternate way is available for you to obtain your New Jersey history. You call the Criminal Information Unit (CIU) of the New Jersey State Police. Its telephone number is 609-882-2000, extension 2918. You tell them that you are out of state, but would like to get your New Jersey criminal history. CIU will mail you a package containing forms and instructions. Histories obtained through this method will be processed by the same MorphoTrak characters mentioned above. The instructions are extremely detailed. They must be followed to the letter.
Whether you live in New Jersey or not, you can bypass MorphoTrak. Instead, you obtain your arrest and conviction history from the FBI. If your arrest history includes events outside New Jersey, an FBI search is often a much better way to obtain your history. However, getting your FBI history will still require an inked fingerprint card and an affidavit. Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™ can guide you through that process.
After jumping through all these hoops, the information that you obtain may still be incomplete. (We never told you it would be simple.) For example, the procedures described above may not provide you with your juvenile records. Where juvenile records exist, pertinent information can be obtained from the courts directly. Some municipal court history may be also be missing. Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™ can guide you through that procedure, also.
Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™
Q30. Do I need one of the Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™?
A. Perhaps not. Some people obtain an expungement without the assistance of a lawyer. However, the process is complicated. So is NJ expungement law. Much paper work is involved. There is a big learning curve. Prosecutors and judges demand extremely strict adherence to the technical requirements contained in the statutes. Prosecutors in some counties insist on requirements beyond what is specified in NJ statutes.
Mistakes in the process are seldom fatal. However, such mistakes can cause great delay and frustration in obtaining the expungement. Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™ make the process faster, easier, and less prone to mistakes. Nevertheless, if you want to explore obtaining the expungement on your own, the New Jersey Administrative Office of the Courts provides forms with instructions. These materials are at http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/prose/10557_expunge_kit.pdf.
Q31. My arrest occurred in South Jersey. Allan Marain’s offices are in New Brunswick. Wouldn’t I do better with a lawyer from South Jersey?
A. Allan Marain is a recognized authority on handling expungements throughout New Jersey. As a Wikipedia editor, he did a complete rewrite of the section relating to expungements in New Jersey. The monthly magazine of the New Jersey State Bar Association published his article on handling expungement cases. He is a Senior Instructor on the faculty of Garden State Continuing Legal Education Services. He has been a presenter in its seminars to New Jersey attorneys of "Expungements under New Jersey Law".
Allan Marain represents expungement clients worldwide on an ongoing basis from his New Brunswick location. Judges and prosecutors throughout New Jersey regularly process petitions that he submits for his clients. Client communications are routinely handled by telephone, by mail, and by e-mail. Thus office location is seldom a serious factor. If your application is one to which objections are likely, the importance of having a lawyer who is experienced and knowledgeable in this area outweighs the inconvenience that his New Brunswick location may cause.
Q32. The arrest that I want expunged happened in New York. Can Allan Marain get that arrest expunged?
A. Allan Marain is licensed to practice only in New Jersey. Therefore he is not able to represent persons seeking expungement of matters from other states. For information concrning expungement in other jurisdictions, you may want to take a look at Wikipedia or other web sources.
Q33. Should I delay contacting Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™ until my waiting period is over?
A. No. The sooner you begin, the better. In order for Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™ to prepare the necessary expungement application, they often must obtain pertinent information from the police, from the court, or from other sources. Obtaining this information requires time, sometimes months. While your waiting period is running, Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™ can gainfully use this time to collect all necessary information. In that way, as soon as your waiting period is over, Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™ will be ready to hit the ground running.
There are important reasons why Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™ recommend proceeding as quickly as possible. For one thing, you may unexpectedly need to change jobs. It takes months to expunge a record. Even when things go smoothly. You may not be able to wait that long. Secondly, if some day you are charged with a new offense, you will be unable to expunge any records at all until your new charges are ultimately resolved. Finally, eligibility to expunge records is measured against the law in effect when the expungement application is filed, and not against the law in effect at the time of the arrest. The Legislature can change the rules at any time.
As an added incentive, if you retain Expungement Lawyers in New Jersey™ before your waiting period is over, you are protected from fee increases that may occur.
Q34. Where can I find more information about Expungements Lawyers in New Jersey™?
A. We thought you’d never ask. Here are four ways:
- Read what former clients have said;
- Visit http://www.MarainLaw.com;
- Send Allan Marain an e-mail; and
- Call him. His toll free number is 877-XPUNG-NJ (877-978-6465). There is no charge for that initial call.
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