The sexual abuse of a young parishioner by a member of the clergy represents the most egregious physical, emotional, and spiritual violation imaginable. Survivors of clergy sexual abuse carry the scars of a church's betrayal for their entire lives. For decades, they and their families also largely suffered in silence. However, since the turn of the century, a movement to hold individual clergy and their church organizations accountable for abuse has been gaining momentum.
If you or someone you love have suffered clergy sexual abuse, your legal rights have changed. You may be able to bring a civil lawsuit for financial compensation from the clergy who abused you and the entities that turned their backs. Talk to a dedicated clergy abuse lawyer at Dolman Law Group for more information.
Identifying Catholic Church Sexual Abusers Leads to Legal Action
Allegations of sexual abuse by Roman Catholic Church clergy have emerged throughout the United States and around the world, as reported by the survivor advocacy website BishopAccountability.org. In some of those cases, the accounts of brave survivors have led to criminal charges and convictions of their abusers. In others, survivors and their attorneys have held the Church accountable through the civil litigation process.
Recently, some states have begun to pass laws that make it possible to pursue legal claims arising from clergy sexual abuse, even if the abuse occurred long ago. These laws have given survivors new opportunities to fight for justice and compensation from Church organizations alleged to have betrayed them.
Dolman Law Group represents survivors of clergy sexual abuse throughout the United States in seeking accountability from the Church. If you or a family member thinks it is time to step forward with an allegation of sexual abuse by a clergy member, then we invite you to contact us to schedule a free, confidential consultation with a sexual abuse attorney.
Why You Should Trust the Clergy Abuse Lawyers at Dolman Law Group
Dolman Law Group is a Florida-based law firm that exclusively represents victims of personal injury and tragedy throughout the country. One of the most important and personally significant areas of our practice involves representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse.
We understand the immense courage and strength it takes to reveal a personal history of clergy abuse. As attorneys, our job is to advise sexual abuse survivors of their right to compensation and help them seek justice in the manner they choose.
Our firm has a long track record of success helping injured people. We have recovered more than $400 million in settlements and jury verdicts on behalf of clients injured by many forms of carelessness and intentional wrongdoing.
Our past successes cannot guarantee the outcome of any future matter, but when clients choose us, they get a law firm with the experience, resources, and know-how to tackle the most personally and legally difficult matters. We do our jobs with empathy, compassion, and determination and never shy away from standing up to the most powerful institutions, such as the Catholic Church.
Statute of Limitation Reform Gives Clergy Abuse Survivors a Path to Justice
Historically, the passage of time has presented one of the most significant obstacles faced by survivors of clergy sexual abuse who decide to seek justice through a legal process. Many survivors endured abuse when they were very young but only became willing and able to disclose the abuse in adulthood. When they did step forward, they frequently found their access to the legal system barred by the “statute of limitations” for both civil and criminal legal actions.
Unfortunately, the survivors who were finally able to take a stand learned that time had run out on seeking any kind of meaningful justice through the courts. This lack of legal options acted as a significant deterrent to reporting past clergy sexual abuse, according to advocates.
New Laws Bring New Opportunities
Fortunately, that situation has begun to change. As reported by the children's advocacy organization ChildUSA, states across the nation have been passing laws rolling back criminal and civil statutes of limitation on childhood sexual assault claims, including those involving clergy sexual abuse.
This means that in an increasing number of states, prosecutors can file criminal charges against perpetrators of clergy sexual abuse that occurred long ago to punish the wrongdoers. It also means survivors of clergy sexual abuse can file civil lawsuits for monetary damages that might otherwise have been barred under “standard” statutes of limitation for civil claims.
Additionally, some states have passed laws expanding statutes of limitation for claims against organizations that facilitated or turned a blind eye to clergy sexual abuse. These changes provide survivors with expanded options to bring suit not just against an individual perpetrator but also against church institutions.
Civil Sexual Abuse Lawsuits Require a Lower Burden of Proof
The rollback of statutes of limitation for civil claims gives survivors of clergy sexual abuse an especially powerful weapon because of the lower “burden of proof” in civil cases. While criminal prosecutors have broad authority to file criminal charges, to convict someone, they must prove the guilt of the perpetrator “beyond a reasonable doubt.” That is a high burden that is often difficult to meet when an incident of clergy sexual abuse occurred decades ago.
In contrast, most states set a lower burden of proof in civil cases where someone is seeking damages and other relief for clergy sexual abuse. Most civil cases require proof “by a preponderance of the evidence” (another way of saying “more likely than not”). That is a lower bar to clear, making it theoretically easier to prove a civil claim than a criminal one.
The clergy abuse lawyers at Dolman Law Group keep a close eye on legislative developments throughout the nation to ensure that anyone who requests our help with a clergy sexual abuse claim receives sound and up-to-date advice about their options for seeking compensation.
When you are ready, the most reliable way to determine which state's laws might apply to a potential civil claim for clergy sexual abuse and whether that state has relaxed its statute of limitations for those claims is to consult with one of our experienced, compassionate attorneys.
Which Legal Remedies Can a Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawyer Recover?
Survivors of clergy sexual abuse often wonder whether coming forward with their claim is “worth it.” There is no one correct answer to that question. At Dolman Law Group, we never pressure anyone to take legal action or assert a claim for clergy sexual abuse. Our goal is to give survivors clear, understandable legal advice about their options. Then, if they choose to take action, we are prepared to help them follow the legal steps needed to hold clergy and church institutions accountable in court.
Survivors of Clergy Abuse May Receive Money Damages
If a client decides to move forward with a civil claim, we may advise them to seek a range of “remedies” for the harm inflicted upon them by a member of the clergy and/or a church institution. Survivors of clergy abuse typically request monetary damages intended to compensate them for:
- The costs of past and future mental health counseling and other therapy
- The pain and suffering of the abuse and its aftermath
- The harm done to personal relationships and
- If available, statutory and/or punitive damages.
We recognize, of course, that money cannot erase the past or mend the scars of clergy sexual abuse. However, it can provide survivors and their families the financial support necessary to work through any abuse-related issues and achieve a measure of peace.
Sexual Abuse Survivors May Also Seek Injunctive Relief
Money damages are not necessarily the only remedy available in a civil action for clergy sexual abuse. Survivors may also seek “injunctive relief,” which is the legal terminology for a court order directing someone to do something. In clergy sexual abuse matters, some survivors have won “injunctions” against church institutions requiring them to take affirmative steps to help prevent abuse in the future.
As attorneys for brave clergy abuse survivors, we advocate for the outcome that best serves our client's wishes. We understand that taking legal action for past clergy abuse is a highly personal decision that survivors undertake for a wide range of reasons and with a wide variety of goals. Regardless of the type of remedy survivors choose to seek in a civil matter, we find that they frequently take comfort in knowing their efforts will hopefully help to protect others from enduring the trauma of abuse.
Survivors of Clergy Sexual Abuse Can Help in a Criminal Prosecution
Although it is typically more difficult to prove criminal charges than a civil claim, prosecutors have pursued criminal cases against individual clergy members. The more recently the abuse occurred, the more likely it is for prosecutors to want to move forward. Of course, to succeed in the prosecution of a clergy member accused of sexual abuse, prosecutors usually need the cooperation of at least one survivor. Prosecutors usually allow each individual survivor to decide how involved they will be.
Cooperating with a criminal prosecution typically does not affect a clergy abuse survivor's right to seek remedies in a civil case. However, there can be some challenges in coordinating civil and criminal cases to make sure justice is served in both cases and that they don't undermine one another.
At Dolman Law Group, we have the necessary experience and familiarity in navigating the cross-currents of civil and criminal law to advise our clients about how to pursue a legal strategy that can achieve civil and criminal justice if that is the path our client chooses to take.
How Dolman Law Group Can Help You Seek Legal Accountability for Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
At Dolman Law Group, we understand that starting the legal process to seek accountability for clergy sexual abuse can feel overwhelming for our clients. We encourage survivors contemplating taking legal action to build an emotional support system, including working with a trained mental health counselor, before coming to see us. To make the most of any legal service we provide, it is important for our clients to feel prepared and supported in making important decisions.
The next step in seeking justice and accountability through the legal process is to schedule a meeting with an experienced, compassionate clergy sexual abuse attorney. Rest assured, if you meet with a lawyer from Dolman Law Group, the meeting will be strictly confidential. We also will not charge you for the meeting, and our consultation will not create any obligation on your part. The purpose of the meeting is for us to listen, answer questions, and, if you ask, give you our initial impression of your potential legal options.
If you choose to partner with a sexual abuse lawyer at our firm to pursue monetary damages against the clergy member or church, your attorney will investigate and compile evidence to support your claims. This can be a difficult process for the survivor, which is one of the reasons we encourage you to have an emotional support system in place. An experienced clergy sexual abuse attorney will provide clear, honest, straightforward advice about what the evidence shows and whether it can support a legal claim.
If you have sufficient evidence, then we will discuss your options for moving forward together. We will discuss:
- Who can be held legally liable for the clergy abuse you suffered
- How you might present your claim
- An estimation of the damages you might seek and
- Any complications or roadblocks we should anticipate
Dolman Law Group's attorneys will do their best to present you with clear choices and understandable advice so you can make the decision that best suits your goals for holding the church and clergy accountable for clergy sexual abuse.
Trust Dolman Law Group's Attorneys for Survivors of Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
The dedicated team at Dolman Law Group has decades of experience providing legal advice to people going through some of the most challenging times of their lives. We consider representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse to be some of the most important work we do. Anyone brave enough to come forward with an allegation of clergy sexual abuse deserves the best possible legal representation to support them and help them choose the path that best suits their goals for holding the perpetrators accountable.
If you have questions about seeking legal remedies for Catholic Church sex abuse, then the lawyers at Dolman Law Group want to help you understand your options. We have offices on both coasts of Florida, and you can also reach out to us online or by phone at 833-552-7274. Contact us today to schedule your confidential, free, no-obligation consultation.