What this involves
Only an admitted Attorney can turn a screening result into a binding opinion, and nothing is lodged with any authority without that sign-off.
Under the Criminal Procedure Act, most qualifying convictions can be expunged after a waiting period that depends on the sentence — commonly 5, 7 or 10 years from the date of conviction (not the date of sentence completion, in most cases) — provided you were not sentenced to certain terms of direct imprisonment and have no disqualifying subsequent convictions.
The application is lodged with the Department of Justice's Expungement office, referencing your SAPS clearance certificate and case details, and can take several months to be processed once submitted. Sexual Offences Register and Child Protection Register listings follow a separate process.
Our screening tool checks the waiting period, offence type, and sentence against the current rules and flags anything that needs a lawyer's judgment call before we lodge anything on your behalf.
How long does it take?
Once your waiting period has passed and we lodge the application, the Department of Justice generally takes 3 to 6 months to process it.
What will it cost?
R4 500 to R9 000 excl. VAT
Covers: Eligibility check, application preparation and lodging with the Department of Justice.
Based on 3 to 6 hours of Attorney time at our rate of R1 500 per hour, excluding VAT.
This is an estimate, not a quote. The final fee depends on the facts and how complex your matter turns out to be, and your Attorney confirms it in writing before work starts. Court fees, sheriff’s fees, counsel and other disbursements are charged separately.
Ask for a firm quoteThis page is general information, not legal advice for your situation. See our Disclaimer.