---
title: "Check whether a conviction is spent before the client discloses it"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/practice/criminal-law/check-whether-a-conviction-is-spent-before-the-client-discloses-it"
type: "task"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "A20-W20261018-4"
practice_area: "Criminal Law"
tier: "yellow"
lawyer_review: "required"
last_reviewed: "2026-10-22"
---

# Check whether a conviction is spent before the client discloses it

> From the client’s criminal history, list each conviction with the date, offence, court and penalty, calculate the end of the crime-free period that would apply, and flag any conviction that falls into an excluded…

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/practice/criminal-law/check-whether-a-conviction-is-spent-before-the-client-discloses-it  
Last reviewed: 2026-10-22

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Practice area | [Criminal Law](https://ailawframework.com/practice/criminal-law.md) |
| Human involvement | Yellow: Lawyer and AI draft together |
| How AI is used | From the client’s criminal history, list each conviction with the date, offence, court and penalty, calculate the end of the crime-free period that would apply, and flag any conviction that falls into an excluded category, such as a prison sentence above the threshold or a sexual offence. |
| What the lawyer must review | The lawyer decides whether each conviction is spent under the law of the jurisdiction that recorded it, whether the client must still disclose it for the purpose in question (some employment and licensing contexts are exempt), and advises the client. |
| Written for / versions | 1 jurisdiction versions below |

## Checking plan

**Line-by-line review**

Review the complete output at the level of each line, paragraph or clause; check facts, meaning and omissions.

- What the AI does: From the client’s criminal history, list each conviction with the date, offence, court and penalty, calculate the end of the crime-free period that would apply, and flag any conviction that falls into an excluded category, such as a prison sentence above the threshold or a sexual offence.
- What the lawyer does: The lawyer decides whether each conviction is spent under the law of the jurisdiction that recorded it, whether the client must still disclose it for the purpose in question (some employment and licensing contexts are exempt), and advises the client.
- Who reviews: Responsible lawyer with competence in the matter
- Basis: Practical workflow informed by the linked primary sources; the traffic light and working checks are editorial guidance, not a court classification.
- Why: The level reflects what the work is, the consequence of an error, and how much of the output the lawyer must independently re-derive.

## Checks the lawyer makes

1. Use the official criminal history, not the client’s recollection.
2. Check whether a later conviction restarts the crime-free period.
3. Confirm whether the purpose of the disclosure is one where spent convictions must still be disclosed.

## Notes

- These are suggested working checks. Confirm the required checking with the responsible lawyer before work starts; the checking approach does not establish permission to use AI.

## Sources

- [Redfern Legal Centre — NSW criminal records and spent convictions (fact sheet)](https://rlc.org.au/sites/default/files/2024-09/Factsheet%20NSW%20Criminal%20Records%20%26%20Spent%20Convictions.pdf) (checked 2026-10-18)

## Forms and precedents for this task

| Form or precedent | Kind | AI level | Summary |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Commonwealth spent conviction screen before a client is asked to disclose](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/criminal-law/cth-spent-conviction-screen.md) | Checklist | Yellow | Screen for the Commonwealth Spent Convictions Scheme as the OAIC describes it. It records the waiting period, the 30-month imprisonment limit and the exclusions named on that page.… |

Signed-in accounts can read the full text of each one.

## Jurisdiction versions

| Jurisdiction | Level |
| --- | --- |
| [United States](https://ailawframework.com/practice/criminal-law/check-whether-a-conviction-is-spent-before-the-client-discloses-it/united-states.md) | Yellow |

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*