Indiana’s new expungement law provides a second chance to people whose criminal record has affected them long after completing their sentence. While several benefits of expungement are obvious, a criminal record can affect many areas of a person’s life. Whether your case is in Lafayette, Fort Wayne, or Indianapolis, our expungement lawyers can help you clear your record. Here are ten reasons to contact an expungement attorney now:
1. Employment: A 2012 study found that 87% of employers conduct criminal background checks on all or some of their job applicants.
2. Stigma: Many people report feeling like a weight has been lifted after expunging their criminal record. With court records so easily accessible online, the social stigma that comes with being a felon or having a criminal record will follow you until the public can no longer access those records.
3. Education: 66% of colleges collect criminal justice information on their applicants, according to a 2010 study.
4. Housing: A criminal record can affect your eligibility for both public and even private housing. Some landlords conduct criminal background checks as part of the application process for new tenants.
5. Loans: Some convictions, particularly those that are drug-related, will limit your eligibility for financial aid.
6. Licensing: In Indiana, there are 48 occupational licenses that require a criminal background check as part of the application process, including a real estate appraiser, social worker, pharmacy technician, and dental hygienist.
7. Firearm Rights: Expunging a felony conviction will restore your eligibility to own a firearm under Indiana law, unless the conviction was for domestic violence.
8. Federal Assistance: Any person convicted of a drug charge is not eligible for the SNAP program in Indiana (formerly known as “food stamps”).
9. Adoption: All former convictions will be considered when the social worker determines you and/or your significant other’s eligibility to adopt.
10. Volunteering: Many organizations that serve the elderly or children will not allow volunteers who have a criminal record.
Gibson Law Office lawyers have significant experience sealing and expunging criminal records. Our attorneys have represented clients in criminal cases, restricting access to criminal records, and sealing and expunging records in more than half of all Indiana counties. We have represented clients in Lafayette, Fort Wayne, Muncie, Indianapolis, Bloomington, and Crown Point. If you have a criminal record anywhere in Indiana, we can help you get a second chance.
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