Attorney Eric J Dirga, PA
Webpage Contents
The use of the term “expungement,” on this page, is meant to include the term “sealing” unless explicitly noted otherwise.
Expungement Costs
The Total Minimum Fee is $1,100*
I have several payment methods. I use the cash (money order or cashiers check) as the base because it is the cheapest and saves bank fees for me. The table below lists the current amounts and methods of payment.
| Payment Method | amount of one of three payments | amount of one time payment | how to pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash (Money Order or Cashiers Check)(No Personal Checks) | $399.00 | $1,100.00 | Mail to: ERIC J DIRGA PO BOX 3591 ORLANDO, FL 32802-3591 |
| Apple Cash | $414.00 | $1,200.00 | Request Payment Link |
| Google Pay | $414.00 | $1,200.00 | Request Payment Link |
| Credit/Debit Card | $466.00 | $1,300.00 | Use Link Sent in Email |
Making Payments
Once we have determined that you are eligible, we will send you an email that includes our address to make your initial or full payment or you can request payment by Apple or Google Pay, or you can pay by credit card.
To get started, we have a few options.
- You can make a one time full payment, or;
- You can make a partial payment to get started.
Mix and Matching Partial Payments
You can make payments in various ways. If you decide to pay one payment in cash (money Order) and then the next payment by credit card or Apple/Google Pay, the corresponding fee applies. For example, if you pay the first payment by credit card for $466.00, then decide to pay cash (money order) for the second payment – that second payment is $399.00.
When Payments are Due
If you decide to do payments, I will notify you when the next payment is due. The time frame of payments looks like this:
- Initial legal payment is due at the beginning to get started (partial payment or payment in full)
- Second legal payment is due when we are ready to send your application to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement [FDLE], usually about one to two months after we begin (if you are making partial payments).
- Final legal payment is when we receive the Certificate of Eligibility from FDLE, usually 2-3 months after we send the application to FDLE.
Note: We notify you that the payment is due. However, you have as long as you need to make the payment. We will give you as much time as you need and proceed once payment is received and this gives you the flexibility you may need. The one exception is when the final payment is due. At that point, you have about a year to make the payment.
What The Legal Fee Pays For
In order to make it more convenient and faster for my clients, the Expungement fee includes:
- Legal fee.
- Costs to obtain necessary documentation from the Court.
- Florida Department of Law Enforcement Fee.
- Invoice/Filing Fees.*
*Maximum $100. This DOES NOT include unpaid court costs that were originally due on the case or any additional fees over $100 due to multiple defendants or any other reason.
What the Expungement fee does not pay for:
- Cost for running a Criminal History. (You should do this if you have multiple arrests and email a copy to me before you hire me.)
- Notary and fingerprint costs.
- The In-person Hearing fee, if necessary. (If remote appearance is allowed there is no fee.)
- Money owed to the court originating from the original case.
- Certified Mailing of final documents (Optional for $65), otherwise sent via First Class USPS.
In-Person Hearing Fee
Hearings are usually not required and, if required, I do not charge a fee for appearing remotely. This is usually the case, especially since the pandemic ushered in remote hearings.
If the State Attorney’s Office objects to the granting of the petition, then we must have a hearing.
There are some counties that require a hearing each time, even when the State Attorney does not object.
If a hearing is required and we are required to appear in-person or you want me to appear in-person (if optional), there is an additional hearing fee. The amount of this fee is determined by county and specific case.
Go to our Record Expungement LOCATIONS page and click on the County where your case originates for more information on particular County fees, including the hearing fee.
What “Is” and “Is Not” Included with Representation
When you hire us to expunge or seal your record the legal representation includes:
- the preparation, document creation, and filing of the petition and required documents;
- attendance at a hearing, if required. Additional fee required.
- If FDLE denies your Certificate of Eligibility, we will also discuss remedies, which are often available, and try to correct FDLE’s error if capable of being accomplished by simple communication and local research.
The fee does not include extraordinary writs, appeals or repeating the procedure.
-An extraordinary writ is a document that is filed to force an agency to comply. These are required to be served/filed within a very short period and takes a lot of work.
-An appeal is the only remedy if the court denies your petition with prejudice.
-The necessity to repeat the procedure for any reason to include expiration of the Certificate of Eligibility, failure to fully pay the fee, or court denial without prejudice to refile.
Already Have Your Certificate of Eligibility?
If you already have your Certificate of Eligibility from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, My fee to finish the process is as follows:
| PAYMENT METHOD | AMOUNT OF PAYMENT | HOW TO PAY |
|---|---|---|
| Cash (Money Order or Cashiers Check)(No Personal Checks) | $899.00 | Mail to: ERIC J DIRGA PO BOX 3591 ORLANDO, FL 32802-3591 |
| Apple Cash | $949.00 | Request Payment Link |
| Google Pay | $949.00 | Request Payment Link |
| Credit/Debit Card | $999.00 | Use link provided in email |
Obtaining Certified Copies
Our legal fee includes obtaining certified copies of existing documents for the process of completing the sealing or expungement of your case. Whatever, documents we have at the end of our representation, we will send to you.
You may need these documents for your records after your case has been sealed or expunged. This is important for people that are:
- Seeking employment with an Entitled Entity.
- Want to apply to the Florida Bar.
- Not a United States Citizen.
We strongly suggest that YOU obtain certified copies of your court documents before your record has been sealed or expunged. We do not guarantee obtaining all the documents you may need in the future after your record has been expunged.
Refunds
We review your case before accepting any money to ensure that you “qualify” to have your record expunged (See, Expungement Qualification). Once you hire us to expunge your record, there are no refunds unless the error that was made was due to my mistake based on the information you provided.
For More Information
We will not harass you with calls, emails, or texts. We will not place you on a mailing list. We will not share your information with anyone. We will add you to our contacts so we know who you are when we communicate in the future. For more information, see our privacy policy.
