­­­­­­How Long Does It Take to Settle a Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Case?

Sexual assault and other forms of sexual abuse have been a dirty secret within the Catholic Church for many years. However, most of the public was unaware of the problem until 2002, when the Boston Globe exposed a widespread cover up of sexual abuse among priests by the Archdiocese of Boston. Thousands of victims have come forward since then, and more than $3 billion have been paid out as compensation by the Catholic Church. If you are one of these victims, you may be in the process of filing a claim. Or, you may have filed a claim but feel like your lawyer isn’t fighting hard enough to recover your losses. Either way, you are probably asking yourself, “How long will it take to settle my case?”

Each case has its own set of unique circumstances, so it’s impossible to give an average timeline that fits every case. Some clients receive awards in just a few months, while others fight for years to receive the compensation they deserve. There are various factors that affect the length of a sexual abuse claim, which we will go over today. Please keep in mind that this is general information, and your own situation may not fall within these timelines.

For information specific to your own case, speak with the sexual assault lawsuit attorneys of Normandie Law Firm.

Average Length of Time to Settle a Sexual Abuse Claim

Clergy sexual abuse has been going on for centuries, but it wasn’t until the 1980s when victims began to take legal action against the church. However, international outrage didn’t occur until the early 2000s. As a result, the Catholic Church has had a long history of burying accusations and fighting claims of sexual abuse. Victims bravely pushed forth with their demands for justice, resulting in a historical meeting at the Vatican in 2019 to discuss the “prevention of abuse of minors and vulnerable adults.” 

Since then, the Catholic Church has been more cooperative when it comes to accusations of sexual assault. It may have to do with class action lawsuits like the 2007 case against the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, in which the church paid out $660 million to 508 victims. A number of such lawsuits has weakened the church’s resolve and made them more amenable to offering compensation. That’s good news for victims, but in reality, many cases still take a year or more to settle. Take, for example, the 2020 case involving 70 people who were abused by priests in various parishes throughout Colorado. It took 22 months for those victims to be awarded a sum of $7.3 million. However, it’s worth noting that these are class action lawsuits, so individual claims may be resolved much quicker.

In our experience, most victims want to settle the case as soon as possible and avoid the trauma of going to court. The Church also wants to avoid the expense of going to trial, not to mention the bad publicity associated with clergy sexual abuse. But if the settlement offered by the Archdiocese is not good enough for the victim, the two sides may have no choice but to go to trial. In that case, it could be several years before a verdict is reached.

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Why is it Taking so Long to Hear Back from Them?

Like most victims, you want to agree on a compensation amount and move on with your life. You’ve discussed your losses with a personal injury attorney, and feel that you’re asking for a fair amount of compensation. Your lawyer sends the U.S. Catholic Church a demand letter, asking them to remit payment by a certain date.

And now, weeks have gone by and there is no answer from the Church. You’re frustrated, scared, and angry that you’re being ignored. We understand how you feel, but we want to assure you of a few things. First, Catholic churches in the U.S. are dealing with a huge number of lawsuits, dating back 10 or more years. Second, each sexual abuse claim has to be investigated and reviewed by their attorneys. Afterwards, the lawyers have to discuss your settlement amount with the Church and decide if they should pay it or make a counter offer. Once you receive their counter offer, you may decide that it’s not good enough and send back another offer.

Realistically, it takes several months on average to negotiate a settlement for sexual assault and other types of sexual abuse. Depending on how long it takes in between each offer and counter offer, a year may go by before you reach a number that’s agreeable to both parties. However, you can only negotiate for so long, especially if it’s clear that the Church is not taking you seriously. In that case, you will have to file a lawsuit and prepare for the possibility of going to trial.

To learn more about the process of filing a lawsuit against the Catholic Church, contact the Los Angeles attorneys of Normandie Law Firm.

Statute of Limitations to File a Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Claim

After months or negotiating, you and your lawyer decide that it’s time to file a lawsuit. In that case, you’ll need to learn about the statute of limitations regarding sexual abuse cases involving the Catholic Church. Adult victims have 10 years from the date of the last incident of abuse to recover monetary compensation. Or, if the injury from the sexual assault is discovered later on (ex: a diagnosis of PTSD associated with the abuse), you have 3 years from the date of discovery to request compensation.

The situation is more complex for child survivors of sexual abuse, whose claims go back many years. In 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Child Victim’s Act into law, which gave victims extra time to sue institutions like the Catholic Church, the YMCA, and the Boy Scouts of America for sexual abuse they endured as children. Under this law, those who were sexually abused by a Catholic priest have until December 31, 2022 to file a lawsuit, no matter how long ago the abuse occurred.

That deadline is approaching quickly, so it’s imperative that you speak to an experienced sexual abuse lawyer right away. Many people assume they don’t meet the qualifications for a lawsuit and end up missing out on the compensation they’re entitled to. During a free consultation, one of our lawyers will evaluate your case and advise you on your rights and legal options. Even if you don’t go ahead with a lawsuit, it’s best to know where you stand and make an informed decision regarding this painful time in your life.

Then again, perhaps you’re already working with an attorney. Maybe you’re unhappy with their service, but don’t know if your concerns are legitimate. Frankly, lawsuits against the Catholic Church are incredibly complicated and should only be handled by an attorney with extensive experience in sexual assault cases. If you’re not confident in your lawyer’s ability to manage your case, you should seek a second opinion right away. Experience is especially important if your case has to go to trial, so you want to make sure the attorney you’ve chosen can see your case through to the end.

Can I Switch Lawyers?

Yes, in California, you are allowed to switch lawyers at any point during a sexual abuse case. But the real question is: Should I change attorneys? In order to answer that question, you should think about exactly why you are unhappy with your current lawyer. Maybe they have an abrupt, straight-forward manner that rubs you the wrong way. Or, they’re not communicating with you as often as you’d like. These issues may be attributed to personality differences, which can be worked out if you express your concerns to your attorney.

If you’ve notified your lawyer about these issues and nothing changes, then it’s possible that your lawyer isn’t treating you with the respect and courtesy you deserve. Maybe they’ve taken on too many clients and lack the time and energy needed for your case. They may also lack the experience to deal with your type of lawsuit, in which case they should do the right thing and refer you to another lawyer. Sadly, many clients remain in the dark and find themselves with inadequate compensation for their losses.

If you find yourself in this situation, please contact the attorneys of Normandie Law Firm. With our many years of experience in sexual abuse lawsuits, we can tell if a lawyer is doing right by their client. Schedule a free consultation to learn about your options if you’re unhappy with your attorney.

Do I Have to Pay My Old Attorney for Their Work if I Switch?

If you switch attorneys, your old lawyer has a right to compensation for the work they’ve done on your behalf. Chances are, your lawyer agreed to take your case on a contingency basis, meaning they will recover their fees once your case is resolved, rather than asking for payment upfront. So if you transfer your case to another attorney, an agreement will have to worked out so that the first lawyer is compensated for their time.

Many people hear this and stick with their attorney out of fear that it will cost them a lot of money. This is not necessarily true, and there’s no way to know for sure without speaking to another lawyer. Generally, it’s easier to dissolve an attorney-client relationship early in the case, so you should seek advice as soon as you’re unhappy. However, you are not forced to stay with a lawyer who doesn’t have your best interest at heart. Nor should you keep an attorney who doesn’t make you feel confident in their abilities.

Free Second Opinion

If you’re dissatisfied with your attorney, please come in for a free second opinion with one of our lawyers. We will be happy to review your case and let you know if there are valid concerns regarding your attorney’s service. These concerns include not having enough experience and pressuring you into a bad settlement, which are unacceptable when dealing with something as serious as sexual abuse. As a victim, you should not be victimized again by inadequate representation, and we will do everything we can to protect your legal rights.

If you decide to switch over to us, there will no upfront costs to you for any of our work. We will take care of the paperwork and fee agreement with your former attorney, so you can focus on recovering from your trauma. Most importantly, our Zero fee policy guarantees that we only get paid if your get paid. So if we lose your case, we eat the costs and you walk away without spending a penny. Come in for a free second opinion and find out if switching attorneys is right for you.

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