In order to begin the process of obtaining your California Certificate of Rehabilitation, we recommend having your record examined by an experienced and licensed attorney. This will provide you with two things: 

1. The reassurance that your case is eligible and requires a Certificate prior to signing up for an expensive legal service, or
2. An attorney’s informed opinion that you qualify for another, less expensive legal service, hopefully saving you in unnecessary costs. 

The process entails a document review by an attorney, case history preparation, and then final analysis preparation. In most cases, unless the records are very lengthy, the total process generally takes less than 1 month. What counts as a lengthy record depends on (1) whether the total record is 5 or more record entries or 5 or more pages in length, and (2) the clarity of the record. If the record is lengthy or if there are several holidays during the month, plan on several extra days for completion.

This cost may then be applied as a credit towards the Certificate, expungement, sealing, or other relevant service that is best for your situation. If it turns out you are ineligible for post-conviction relief, or you decide not to move forward on your eligible services, then this amount is for the attorney’s time to perform the analysis. The credit ranges from $100-$200 depending on the number of violations or cases on your record. This credit will remain available for four months from the date of the analysis.