How to File a Clergy Abuse Claim

Filing a clergy abuse claim requires you to break down the mistreatment you withstood at the hands of religious authority figures. You can work with an Atlanta clergy abuse lawyer to compile the evidence you need to prove abuse before arguing for your right to damages.

We invite you to book a free case consultation with our staff to learn more about:

• The investigative process we use to find evidence of mistreatment
• The steps our team takes to protect you from additional abuse
• The compensation you may receive after filing for support

Don’t let abusers use their religion to hurt more people. Our experienced lawyers can help you file a clergy abuse claim today. 

You Need to Hold the Right Person Accountable When You File a Clergy Abuse Claim

If you want to take legal action against abusive clergy members, your attorney needs to know who bears the blame for your mistreatment. A thorough investigation into your claim allows us to determine if you were targeted by an individual or if several members of a religious community collaborated to hurt you.

We make a point to keep our investigations from endangering you. Our Atlanta sexual abuse lawyers can help you file for a protective order while we speak with representatives from your community. We can also serve as a barrier between you and an abuser, preventing them from intimidating you out of legal action.

Your first case consultation with our personal injury lawyers in Atlanta comes free of charge, and it doesn’t commit you to long-term legal action. When we get together, we can discuss what investigative processes might best help you prove your right to file a clergy abuse claim.

You Need Evidence to File a Clergy Abuse Claim

Once we have a better understanding of what parties might be involved in your clergy abuse case, we can begin to gather evidence to support your claim. Our efforts to strengthen your claim will make it easier for you to get the compensation you need to recover.

The evidence that might have the greatest effect on your clergy abuse case may include the following:

• Medical records going into detail about injuries or sexual assault
• Witness statements about your abuse
• Documents from church reports detailing or hiding details about your mistreatment

You do not have to return to a religious community to help us gather the evidence necessary to make your case. We want you to be as physically and emotionally safe as possible throughout your case. We can subsequently take steps to protect you from places or people that might trigger you.

You Need to Calculate the Value of Your Settlement When Filing a Clergy Abuse Claim

Our lawyers make it easier for victims of clergy abuse to file civil claims against their abusers. Civil claims allow survivors like you to recover damages (financial support) based on losses sustained due to their mistreatment. In other words, civil claims differ from criminal cases, in that they won’t see your abuser face criminal consequences for their actions.

If you want your abuser to face criminal consequences for their actions, we recommend that you work with state police.

When we work on your civil case, we strive to help you secure a settlement that can cover the cost of lost wages, medical expenses, and property damage related to your mistreatment. We also fight to see you compensated for your emotional distress, reduced quality of life, and pain and suffering. You can discuss how we value these losses during your free case consultation. 

How to Ask for Clergy Abuse Damages

Most people, upon filing a civil claim, have the right to negotiate with the defense for the compensation they deserve. If you file a clergy abuse claim, you could meet with your abuser. However, our team recommends that you either have an attorney with you during these conversations or you forgo negotiations in favor of a trial.

We want you to exercise the rights afforded to you by Georgia’s civil statutes, but we don’t want you to retraumatize yourself or put yourself in danger.

You can discuss how you want to fight for clergy abuse damages when you meet with our team for a free case consultation. We’ll make recommendations based on your circumstances and outline what you might expect from us as your case progresses.

You Need to Understand Georgia’s Personal Injury Statute of Limitations to File a Clergy Abuse Claim

Normally, Georgia applies its personal injury statute of limitations (Ga. Code § 9-3-33) to most of its civil cases. This is not as often the case with the state’s clergy abuse cases. Instead, the amount of time you will have to file a claim against an abuser will vary based on your age.

You can discuss how to most effectively work within your filing timeline when you meet with our clergy abuse lawyers.

That said, make sure you file your claim before your statute of limitations expires. If you miss your filing deadline, you may lose the right to hold your abuser financially responsible for your losses.

Our Georgia Clergy Abuse Lawyers Want to Support You

Do you want to hold an abuser accountable for the wrongs they’ve put you through? We want to put our decades of legal experience to work for you. The Strong Arm advocates for everyone who wants to fight for justice through the civil system.

You can count on our clergy abuse attorneys in Atlanta to help you file a clergy abuse claim in times of need. We’ll sit with you, discuss your circumstances, and offer you support as you navigate Georgia’s civil system. You can count on our representation and emotional support to see you through to the end of your case.

Our team has helped abuse survivors like you recover over $1 billion in damages. We’re ready to fight for you. You can book a free clergy abuse case consultation with our staff right now.