A Few Words On Michigan's Clean Slate Act

Michigan's new Clean Slate Law has automatically expunged over 5 million criminal convictions. Millions of other Michigan criminal convictions could be expunged by simply filing a few court forms. Why does that matter?  Once a conviction has been expunged, you no longer have to check the "yes" box when asked "have you ever been convicted of a crime?"  This question appears in far too many places - 9 out of 10 employment applications, most housing applications,  life insurance applications,  car insurance applications, 70% of college applications, even commercial loan applications. It's hard to overstate the impact a criminal record has on your life. 

When a criminal record is expunged, it's as if it never happened.  If done properly, the conviction no longer appears on your record.  Employers, landlords, insurance agents, colleges, etc., have no way of knowing the conviction ever occurred, unless you tell them. 

Michigan's new Clean Slate Law automatically expunged millions of criminal records.  "Automatic" means the expungement was done without the individual taking any action. Which to be clear, is great - that's exactly what should happen, in our opinion.  But that also means that there are hundreds of thousands of Michiganders needlessly continuing to "check that box" disclosing past convictions, when they don't have to. Many Michiganders aren't aware that the sweeping new legislation was enacted and that their convictions were already expunged.  Others know that the legislation was passed, but found it difficult to determine if they were eligible under the act. Still others became eligible for expungement under the new law, but only by application.  Their records could be expunged, but only if they file the right forms with the right agencies. 

There are resources that can help you determine whether your record has been expunged, and if not, how to do so, free of charge. Safe & Just Michigan is a great example.  Information is also available from the State of Michigan's own Clean Slate webpage, and the Michigan Attorney General's Clean Slate Initiative.  Many, however, find the process confusing, time consuming and frustrating.  If they can afford it, some pay attorneys thousands of dollars to navigate the system on their behalf.  For most, this is simply not an affordable option. 

At CleanSlateCheck.com,  we believe that the cost of most criminal convictions is simply too high and borne for too long. Michigan enacted the Clean Slate Act because, generally, people should not be forever defined by their worst moment.  A shoplifting charge from when you were 18 shouldn't prohibit you from renting an apartment in your 40s. By enacting this law, the People of the State of Michigan have put limits on the amount of time many convictions can haunt a person, after which they are entitled to a fresh start . CleanSlateCheck.com hopes to help as many Michiganders get the clean slate to which they are entitled.  To that end, we offer the following services:

$99 Clean Slate Check 

For $99, we will determine whether your Michigan conviction has been expunged, and if not, whether you are (or will be) entitled to an expungement.  If you are, we provide personalized, plain English instructions on what you need to do to have up to five eligible convictions expunged.   We'll even provide the specific forms you'll need to file and tell you where to file them. If you have more than five eligible Michigan convictions, we'll cover those too, just pay an additional $25 per conviction.  A written opinion and any applicable forms will be provided within 48 hours(2 business days) of sending payment and completing a short intake form. 

Full Service Preparation 

If you receive your written opinion and decide you would like assistance filling out the applicable paperwork, we will complete any required SCAO forms for you for $50 per conviction.  

Referrals To Formal Representation

Most expungements happen automatically or by filing a few forms.  Others, however, are more complicated.  Some convictions are eligible for expungement only after a formal hearing in front of a judge. To be successful, these expungements require substantial preparation  and ideally experienced representation.  Because CleanSlateCheck.com is committed to providing as many Michiganders with a clean slate as possible, our focus is on providing people with the information and tools they need to pursue expungements on their own behalf.  If a more complex filing is required and you would like formal representation during that process, we are happy to provide referrals to experienced Michigan expungement attorneys who share our commitment to helping every Michigander who deserves a clean slate get one, at an affordable price, as fast as possible.