[meta-description: Curious about how to remove court cases from public records? This article takes you through that process and answers common questions about it.]
Public records are available to, well, the public. And while that’s great if you need to find someone’s records or run a background check, what if you want to remove something from your records? This can be helpful before background checks, tenant screenings, and much more.
While removing court records from your public records may sound great, you’re probably curious about how to remove court cases from public records. The good news is that we’re here to help, and in this article, we take you through that process and much more.
Can You Remove Court Cases from Public Records?
Before we dive into how you can remove court cases from public records, it’s important to determine if this is something you can actually do. The good news is that you can remove court cases from public records, and you have a few options.
For example, you can go the legal route and try to have them removed from state and federal databases. Therefore, it is possible to remove court cases from public records, but you may have to do a little bit of work. It’s also important to note that this might not always work as courts can deny this request.
In these situations, you may have to consider other options or speak with a lawyer.
Why You Should Remove Court Cases from Public Records
Removing court cases from public records is a great idea if you have a criminal record, bankruptcies, and other records that can impact you on a background check or tenant screening. What’s more, it’s a good way to ensure that your information gets removed from public record databases and websites that house this information.
Therefore, it’s always a good idea to remove unnecessary records to keep your digital footprint clean.
How to Remove Court Cases from Public Records
When you want to remove court cases from public records, you have a few options. That said, some are better than others, and you have to keep an eye on the costs. Learn more about how to remove court cases from public records below.
Filing an Expungement
The best way to remove court cases from public records is to file an expungement. This ensures that the court seals the case so that only law enforcement and some agencies can view the records.
While this is the most effective method, the court will have to approve the request. Unfortunately, they don’t always approve it, so it’s not always possible. To improve your chances, you can always work with a lawyer, but this will cost a pretty penny.
Contacting Public Record Websites
There are a lot of websites out there that store your public records, which often include court cases. Even if you can’t get a court case off your record, you can make it harder to find by reaching out to these websites and asking them to remove it.
While the websites don’t have to remove this information, most will honor your request, so it’s not the worst idea.
Burying the Records
If your court case is a popular one or you don’t want details about it showing up when someone runs a Google search, you’ll want to bury the records the best you can. This can be done through a process of manipulating search engines to show your court case, which can be expensive and may require a great deal of content.
That said, it could be worth the effort to prevent the court records from being seen right away.
How to Check if Court Cases Have Been Removed from Public Records
Removing court cases from public records is possible, but sometimes, it’s not a fast process. For example, some online databases may be slow to remove these records, and it’s always good to double-check before a background check or tenant screening.
The good news is that checking your public records has never been easier. All you need is a reliable public records search tool to check your records. If you enter your information and find the court case in your full report, the court case hasn’t fallen off your record yet.
Speeding up the process might not always be possible, but you can petition to have websites remove your information with proof that the court has agreed to seal your record.
Remove Court Cases from Public Records Today
Removing court cases from your public records is a tricky process that requires patience, money, and a little bit of persistence. Always start by requesting the court to remove your records and then petition to have online databases remove your records with proof of the sealing, shielding, or expungement of your records.
Last but not least, use a public records search tool to check your records and ensure that they’re gone.