How do I seal my divorce record in California?

How do I seal my divorce record in California?

In order to seal your divorce records, a court order is required. A court order will not be given simply because both you and your spouse agree to the sealing process. You are required to file an application with reasons that will justify your request.

How do I file a motion under seal in California?

A party requesting that a record be filed under seal must file a motion or an application for an order sealing the record. The motion or application must be accompanied by a memorandum and a declaration containing facts sufficient to justify the sealing.

Can you seal civil cases?

The Judicial Conference of the United States today adopted a national policy that encourages federal courts to limit those instances in which they seal entire civil case files. The policy emphasizes that “an entire civil case file should only be sealed when …

What does a motion to seal mean?

Generally, record sealing can be defined as the process of removing from general review the records pertaining to a court case. In many cases, a person with a sealed record gains the legal right to deny or not acknowledge anything to do with the arrest and the legal proceedings from the case itself.

What does it mean when a record is sealed?

In essence, when a person’s record is sealed, it means that it’s not readily available to the public. However, sealed records can still be accessed or “re-opened” by way of a court order.

How do you seal a civil court case?

To get a court record sealed, you must bring a motion – an official request – before a judge. In the motion, you must convince the judge that you have serious privacy or safety concerns that outweigh any public interest in having access to those records.

What does it mean when a charge is expunged?

To “expunge” is to “erase or remove completely.” In law, “expungement” is the process by which a record of criminal conviction is destroyed or sealed from state or federal record. It is important to clarify that expungement is not “forgiveness” for committing a crime—that is a legal pardon.