Are Victim Advocacy Groups Involved in Civil Litigation?

Victim advocacy groups can be a great resource for survivors of sexual abuse and can be instrumental in encouraging victims to pursue civil litigation with our lawyers’ help.

Victim advocacy groups are not actively involved in sexual abuse lawsuits. These groups can provide victims with emotional support, referrals for pursuing litigation, and legal resources. Victim advocacy groups are not involved in the bulk of civil litigation, including building a case, filing a lawsuit, negotiating a settlement, or litigating the case in court; our lawyers will handle that.

For help with your case from our lawyers for sexual abuse victims, call The Law Office of Andrew Shubin at (814) 826-3586.

How Are Victim Advocacy Groups Involved in Civil Litigation?

Victim advocacy groups typically aren’t directly involved in civil litigation for sexual abuse, but they can be a useful tool for victims as they navigate lawsuits and deal with the fallout of abuse.

Emotional Support

Victim advocacy groups can provide a safe space for survivors to talk about the abuse they endured and feel supported enough to file a police report or pursue a civil lawsuit. Victim advocacy groups sometimes give survivors the last push that they need to seek justice for themselves.

Legal Referrals

Victim advocacy groups may also connect survivors with trauma-informed attorneys to represent them in their sexual abuse lawsuits. Having a lawyer who is understanding of your situation and whose goal is to ensure your comfort throughout civil litigation is key during a sexual abuse case. Your lawyer should be patient, earn your trust, and empower you throughout your lawsuit.

Resources

Victim advocacy groups can provide other resources to victims after abuse and during civil litigation, such as confidential 24/7 hotlines, trauma counseling, safety planning, and more.

A victim advocacy group might also inform you of the statute of limitations for a civil lawsuit. Still, always confirm the filing deadline with our lawyers for sexual abuse victims so you don’t miss it or think your claim has expired when it hasn’t.

Witness Statements

Counselors who provide care through victim advocacy groups might be involved in the trial if they can offer useful testimony based on their observations during sessions and their expertise on the topic of sexual abuse, though this is not a guarantee.

What Aren’t Victim Advocacy Groups Involved in During Civil Litigation?

Victim advocacy groups aren’t parties in sexual abuse lawsuits, nor do they represent either party, so they are not involved in the building, filing, or litigating of victims’ civil cases.

Case Building

Victim advocacy groups may encourage survivors to pursue justice for themselves with a civil lawsuit against their abusers, but they aren’t involved in actually building the case. That falls to our lawyers, who can investigate your case, accumulate evidence, and form convincing arguments of the defendant’s liability.

Case Filing

Victim advocacy groups also have no involvement in the actual filing of your lawsuit if they are not your lawyers.

They may offer support to you at the time of filing, which can understandably be emotional, but they do not write or file the complaint submitted to the court. You should always have our lawyers do that for you.

Negotiating Settlements

Victim advocacy groups have no part in negotiating settlements for sexual abuse cases, either. Our attorneys can quantify your damages, aggressively negotiate, and refuse bad offers to resolve the case sooner.

Litigating a Case

If you received counseling from a victim advocacy group, the counselor might testify during a trial. They can tell the court about how the abuse impacted you.

Victim advocacy groups may hold seminars and trainings to educate lawyers on strategies that work in cases, how to communicate with survivors, etc., but they do not dictate case strategy. Your lawyers are the ones to actually litigate the case.

Do You Have to Involve a Victim Advocacy Group in Civil Litigation?

Seeking support from a victim advocacy group is just one way you can take the first step toward pursuing compensation for sexual assault or abuse. Not all victims seek help from victim advocacy groups, however, and might be concerned that their lawsuit is weak because of it.

Many survivors never seek any mental health and emotional support or legal referrals and resources from victim advocacy groups. While a victim advocacy group can give you the support you need to decide you’re ready to file a lawsuit, not getting help from one doesn’t undermine your claim.

There are other ways to document sexual abuse, so don’t think you don’t have a case if you didn’t seek help from a victim advocacy group.

FAQs About Civil Litigation for Sexual Abuse Victims

How Long Do You Have to Pursue Civil Litigation for Sexual Abuse?

How long you have to pursue civil litigation for sexual abuse depends on the statute of limitations in your state and whether you were abused as a minor or an adult. In general, there are longer statutes of limitations for child sexual abuse cases than adult sexual abuse cases.

What Do You Have to Prove in Civil Litigation for Sexual Abuse?

In civil litigation for sexual abuse, the plaintiff must prove that the defendant is more than likely liable for the damages from sexual abuse.

What Evidence Can You Use in Civil Litigation for Sexual Abuse?

Proving sexual abuse requires strong evidence, such as witness testimony, expert witness testimony, texts, emails, and other correspondence, journal entries, and medical records.

Can a Victim Advocacy Group Give You Legal Advice About Civil Litigation?

Victim advocacy groups cannot give you legal advice about civil litigation, so these groups cannot replace an experienced trauma-informed lawyer in your case.

Are Victim Advocacy Groups Involved in Criminal Sexual Abuse Cases?

Victim advocacy groups are generally more involved in criminal sexual abuse cases than civil litigation. In criminal cases, victim advocacy groups may assist with victim impact statements, accompany victims to court, and provide other meaningful support.

Get Our Help with Civil Litigation for Sexual Abuse

For a free case assessment from the lawyers for sexual abuse victims, call The Law Office of Andrew Shubin today at (814) 826-3586.