Child Sex Abuse Lawyers

We co-founded Braving Healing with Jeffrey A. Preszler and his team at Preszler Injury Lawyers because they don’t just take our cases; they stand with us. For those who have endured CSA and have civil legal claims, not everyone will want to file a lawsuit. But for those who do, we believe that the legal process can be a powerful tool for healing. And Jeff knows how to walk that path with care and integrity.

If you’re thinking, “Wow, someone is profiting off of the trauma of childhood sexual abuse…” That makes sense. We’ve been horrifically harmed. And we’re not here to tell anyone they should pursue a civil legal claim. We wrote this page for fellow humans who have endured CSA and are curious about holding institutions accountable. We believe the work Jeff and his team do is invaluable to our community, and we invite you to see what we see.

“It helps with your healing, knowing that this can’t be taken away by a thought or, ‘Did it really happen to me?’ or anything like that. You’ve got the proof, I’ve got the litigation papers and stuff like that to be able to look back on and stuff like that. So it was nice to be able to put it to bed. It was very nice.”

Glenn Wells, CSA Client of Jeffrey Preszler

“At a very early age, my clients have had control taken away from them by these abusers, and they’ve been carrying that weight their entire life. The purpose of the lawsuit is to try and return some of that control that they lost, that was stolen. And, I think that’s one of the ways that civil litigation is so important.”

Joseph Fearon, Lawyer

“After it was finished, after the case was finished, I was feeling like I can had control of my life again. It’s been much better now. I still have restless nights, but not as many.”

Glenn Wells, CSA Client of Jeffrey Preszler

We spoke about this above: the institutions must answer your lawyers’ questions.

We’ve all experienced so many who have either dismissed our harm or avoided accountability. When we share our story and aren’t believed, it’s retraumatizing. When we see those who harmed us avoid responsibility for their actions, it harms us.

That’s why we are so intentional about bringing civil lawyers to the forefront of our work with Braving Healing. Not because everyone should, but because it’s so often overlooked, misunderstood, or unknown.

Knowing that institutions that failed to protect us must now answer for their past wrongs, it can be very supportive of our healing journey.

The past cannot be changed. As a result, many of us feel such profound loss and hopelessness. When we spoke, we were often ignored. When we were being harmed, others looked away.

Civil lawsuits have led to numerous changes in the way institutions operate. This has looked like religious organizations stopping various practices that made it easier to abuse children. It looks like requiring organizations to have two adults in a space at all times. And more. It won’t prevent all harm to future children, but what we do know is that proper policies do result in fewer children being harmed.

To be clear, this is not something most institutions are willing to give. However, some cases have resulted in apologies. We’ve heard how, for some who did receive an apology, even a three-sentence apology can mean the world to them. Why? Because it means someone responsible for our safety has finally acknowledged that they failed us.

Civil lawsuits don’t give you what you’re owed. They give you what little the system allows. And while it’s not enough, and nothing can ever take away the pain, it’s something. And it’s yours.

As we discussed in the prior section, in cases where money is awarded to the person who endured CSA, it’s never about the money itself. It’s about the legal acknowledgement of harm, and the money represents the only thing the institution can do about the past harm. In some ways, it’s gross. To have an institution continue on its way by simply cutting a check…? But the reality is that’s all that can be given in most situations.

For many of us, we’ve experienced a dramatic loss of income over our lifespan. Because of the trauma we carry, we weren’t able to get the same sort of college degree, if we got one at all. Many of us couldn’t climb the corporate ladder because we were experiencing so much distress that we couldn’t show up consistently and perform at our highest level. Or, some of us did climb the corporate ladder only to find ourselves facing other challenges, like attempts to end our lives.

The money clients receive from civil lawsuits doesn’t fix the past. But it’s the only way our laws allow any amount of “compensation” for the harm done. We put quotes because it’s so inadequate for the harm. But it’s also the only thing.

And that money is money you probably would have earned anyway, had it not been for the trauma. So it’s the institution recognizing that while they can’t change the past, they can at least give you money to help support your future.

Then you determine how to spend that money.

Use it for anything you like.

Get a therapist. Or two. Or three.
Start a non-profit.
Quit your job and travel the world.
Donate to a cause you care about.
Save it so you have the funds should you need them in the future.

It’s your money because it should have been yours all along. And it’s one way we can have greater agency over our future.

First off, as those who have endured childhood sexual abuse, we don’t owe it to anyone to come forward.

The point we want to make here is that when people do come forward, it helps light the way for others. Not because we’re “supposed to” or anything of that nature.

When we come forward and use systems like the civil legal process, our voices become part of our cultural web. The defense lawyers are forced to recognize the harm. The institutions have to make changes. And judges issue rulings that other judges later use to decide cases.

When we tell institutions we won’t tolerate the harm endured, we tell them that we must work collectively to end this problem. It’s not a problem that affects “someone else.” No, it’s something that needs to be addressed by the whole of society.

This one is more abstract; however, we want to point to it.

Culturally, we like to demonize predators. So much time is spent trying to identify pedophiles, and yet the children who have been harmed (and the adults we become) are largely forgotten. No one thinks they’re okay with childhood sexual abuse. Everyone would say, “Yes, let’s stop it!”

While there are numerous reasons for this, we believe that part of the challenge here is that few understand the severity of the trauma that endures for life in the victim. We often live most of our lives knowing we have trauma, but not seeing just how much it’s affected our every moment.

This is yet another reason we are so passionate about promoting the civil legal path. Not because anyone should, but because it uniquely focuses on detailing the impact on those harmed. Criminal trials are heavily focused on whether or not the abuse actually happened. In civil, while we have to demonstrate the client’s story is reasonable, it’s a lesser burden of proof. From there, the discussion is heavily focused on the severity of “damages.”

In law, this word might sound cold when describing our harm, but it’s effectively the idea of: what harm was caused because of the incident(s), and how do we quantify this into a number.

That process often requires multiple experts who can easily cost $10,000 each. These experts are used to help demonstrate that the abuse put us on a different path than was likely to be expected of us. Then, these experts use a variety of complex processes to demonstrate to the defense and the judge that the harm was real, its scope, and that the adults’ lived experiences are directly tied to the harm.

While it can feel a bit crass to boil our trauma down to dollars on a piece of paper, we both validate that and suggest the following:

The civil legal process uniquely quantifies the impacts of childhood sexual abuse in universal numbers that people understand (money). As a result, this legal process both validates the one who endured the breadth of its impact on their life and declares to the world that the harm is far more wide-reaching than we recognize.

Based on what we’ve seen and heard from others who have been through the civil legal process, as well as our studies on the topic, this is critically important to preventing future harm. The civil process allows us, as a society, to articulate with nuance and detail just how devastating the lifelong consequences of childhood sexual abuse are. With time, we believe this can help us, as a society, stop spending all our energy talking about predators and start tending to the healing that needs to be done within our own spheres of influence.

With so many of us having been gaslit throughout our lives, it is so validating to have a legal document verifying that the lawsuit resulted in the institution paying out. It’s not about the payout, it’s about the acknowledgement that obviously something happened.

Some institutions will still seek to avoid public recognition of the harm (though this has improved in recent years). Regardless of the institution’s stance on the abuse claim, the litigation paperwork stands as an official marker that the abuse was recognized.

After the abuse we endured as children, and after having a life filled with so many challenges, it can be incredibly relieving to have clear litigation paperwork: your abuse happened, and it was not your fault.

Jeff, based in Toronto (Ontario, Canada), was working on an injury claim when he discovered his client had been abused. It was throughout the client’s medical records. When Jeff brought up the fact that his client would have to speak to this as part of the injury claim, the client shrugged it off: I’ve been telling people for years, and no one believes me.

Jeff recognized that there was a potential legal claim here due to the recent changes in the statute of limitations (the amount of time you have to file a civil claim after an incident). He told his client he hadn’t worked on a sexual abuse case before, but he understood the laws as they’re the same ones he works with daily. After successfully representing his client, Jeff made this a substantial part of his law firm.

Some lawyers like to try to act all virtuous and claim they got into these types of lawsuits because of their heart. And we’re sure some are telling the truth. What Jeff does here is he doesn’t manufacture a story that sounds perfect. Instead, he says it like it is: he stumbled into it, and after realizing how much people affected by CSA need help and that he could justify investing in it because there’s money to be made, he went all in.

He built an entire division within his firm to handle these cases. He has his team undergo trauma training regularly. And he holds an incredibly high standard for how clients ought to be treated and how rigorous the lawyers must be in representing them.

While some want lawyers only motivated by altruism, we invite others who have endured to consider this: isn’t the best ally someone who has the resources to help us while also valuing our plight?

That’s for each person to decide.

Joseph, also based in Toronto and working on cases in British Columbia, had a slightly different path. He came from a world where being a lawyer was never within reach. However, one thing led to another, and he found himself in law school. Many lawyers regard the personal injury lawyer profession with disdain. Those who wish to make substantial money often opt for corporate defense, helping corporations maximize and retain their profits. (Corporate defense lawyers looking at PI lawyers with disdain really doesn’t make sense, but that’s a discussion for another day.)

After getting into personal injury law, Joseph started hearing how other lawyers were settling these childhood sexual abuse lawsuits for too little. As a lawyer, he recognized the severity of the damages.

(Please note that the value of each case is determined on a case-by-case basis; prior results do not guarantee future outcomes.)

Note: see how this ties into our earlier discussion of how these civil lawsuits can help articulate to the world in a universal metric the breadth of harm? Joseph didn’t have the lived experience of enduring CSA, but because of how civil law quantifies harm, he was able to see just how severe the lived experiences are.

Joseph saw the injustice: lawyers were taking a quick check by settling these cases fast and cheaply. Everyone got a check. Everyone should be happy, right?

No! If it’s reasonable that someone who endured CSA should have made $65,000 per year over the span of their life, but instead, as a result of their trauma, were homeless for years and struggling with drug addictions, this means the person missed out on their opportunities. All because a priest, teacher, scout leader, or someone else sexually abused them.

Joseph recognized that these are the most significant psychological injuries. And the laws can be used to ensure those who endured get so much more.

Again, like Jeff, Joseph recognized the severity of harm and saw an opportunity to use the laws to advocate for those who endured childhood sexual abuse. Both of these lawyers also saw that these lawsuits could not just result in financial payouts; they could lead to apologies, policy changes, and more.

We’ve had the opportunity to speak with their clients and hear about the process. We heard a universal theme: those who endured CSA felt valued through the process. The lawyers were excellent listeners; they seek to empower clients at every step and don’t push.

Jeff has regular trainings for himself and his team to understand the complexities of trauma, how to show up to those who endured, and how institutions methodically perpetuate problems. As a result, they can understand how to support CSA clients and litigate these cases successfully.

They also understand that disclosing is incredibly difficult. As a result, they intentionally structure their processes so clients can tell their story as few times as possible. If a case proceeds, clients will have to tell their story multiple times. But rather than making clients disclose everything to everyone, they seek to collect only the parts of the story that are necessary at any given point.

They do not pressure clients to move quickly nor rush the legal process.

There will be deadlines at various points in the process due to laws or requirements set by a judge. However, Jeff and his team never create a sense of urgency to rush clients.

It is because of this integrity, displayed throughout the process in both our discussions and conversations with their clients, that they are powerful partners for those who endured CSA who wish to pursue the civil legal path.

Preszler Injury Lawyers has lawyers handling childhood sexual abuse claims in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon. We’ve had the opportunity to talk to several people on their team as well as current and past clients. We aren’t here to tell you to hire them. That’s for each person to decide.

From our standpoint, we see a very robust law firm handling these cases. They’re humans, and we know they won’t do everything perfectly. Which is another thing, they have shared stories of when balls got dropped. Any lawyer claiming this has never happened is most likely dishonest. Jeff and Joseph prioritize clients’ needs, not their own egos.

As lawyer Joseph Fearon puts it, the psychological damages experienced by those who endured childhood sexual abuse are among the most extreme any lawyer can handle. Some lawyers have taken on these types of cases, and when their clients were offered very little, the lawyers encouraged them to accept the settlement.

Why would anyone do this?

Because it’s easy money for the lawyer, fighting for more requires time, effort, and more money from the law firm. To successfully litigate these cases, lawyers have to hire experts, which can cost the firm tens of thousands of dollars.

Those who endured CSA need someone who has their back in legal processes. This is something that criminal law lacks, as the victim is merely a witness. In civil lawsuits, the client can and should be the person who controls the process. An excellent lawyer will make that happen by prioritizing the client’s needs.

This means that those who endured childhood sexual abuse need a lawyer who is willing to go against the grain, against the systems at play. In 2017, the team at Preszler Injury Lawyers took a lawsuit to the Supreme Court. Other plaintiff lawyers were upset and didn’t want this case to go to the Supreme Court; they claimed it would ruin things for others. Jeff, Joseph, and their team ignored everyone’s complaints and forged ahead. They were on a mission for their client, not for their colleagues.

The Supreme Court ruled in their favor.

What was in question?

Whether or not psychological injuries must have a diagnosis for compensation to be awarded.

This mattered because a formal diagnosis is not required for physical injuries in civil lawsuits. Before this, a person who had endured CSA may have been unable to have their harm fully recognized, validated, and quantified in court. And subsequently, the institutions that allowed the harm to occur would not be held fully accountable.

This is precisely the type of legal team that those who endured CSA need.

Further, the team at Preszler Injury Lawyers has helped numerous Canadians positively resolve their claims against institutions for the childhood sexual abuse they experienced. These cases have resulted in financial payouts to clients, policy changes, apology letters, and more.

Before we jump in, let’s address something really important: hiring Preszler Injury Lawyers doesn’t cost anything unless they secure a financial payment for the client from an institution. They receive a percentage of the payout, but you do not have to pay anything up front.

Contacting a lawyer to discuss your trauma from childhood sexual abuse is… well, it can be retraumatizing for many of us. You don’t know these people. And now you’re supposed to talk about your most painful memories?

In the video above, Jeff discusses the process. When you talk to someone at their firm, you’re going to be asked some questions so they can get a high-level view of your potential legal claims. You don’t have to disclose everything at this point, as that’s not necessary. Their team is well-trained, and if you’d like to share more with them, they’re here to support you.

The goal of the first call is to gather details to establish if the circumstances surrounding your abuse involve the legal responsibility of an institution. The reality is, they can’t help everyone (more on this below).

A lot of people first contact the firm about one instance of abuse that lacks an institution that can be held accountable. However, many of us were victimized more than once. The team at Preszler will gently ask questions and guide you to see if they can identify a path forward in the civil legal system.

Whether an institution can be held accountable is primarily determined by a number of legal nuances. For instance, being sexually abused at a school by a fellow student is unlikely to offer a path for holding the school accountable (but even here, context matters and can sometimes change things, like if an adult was aware). Whereas in a situation where an adult was the perpetrator, it’s much more likely that there is a civil claim.

If the team at the law firm believes they have a legal path forward with you, they’ll offer to take your case on. This involves signing a retainer, which is a legal agreement that designates them as your lawyers and allows them to begin collecting documentation on your behalf. It also states how they’ll be paid should they secure a financial payout for you. They’ll also need some other documentation, which they’ll guide you through.

From here, you’ll be meeting with your lawyer.

Note that while Jeff and Joseph both handle many of these cases, they have a large team, and you’ll likely be assigned to another lawyer. Regardless of who is working on your case, you have the same diligence that Jeff and Joseph bring to their cases. That is their firm’s culture. Should there be issues, ask to speak to them as they are responsible for the work of the entire firm.

At this point, you’ll need to disclose more details about your history. Because there is no rush, you can ask for more time, share some, and ask to share more later, and so forth. With this law firm, you’re in the driver’s seat.

One more thing we appreciate about Jeff and his approach:

Jeff is quite diligent in ensuring his team handles these cases properly. Which also means that when a lawyer isn’t doing the right thing, Jeff steps in and ensures the client gets exactly what they need. Some big law firms ignore their clients’ concerns. We’ve seen how Jeff personally intervenes whenever a client’s needs aren’t being met.

It’s not just about how someone handles cases when things go well. A good law firm will step up if anything doesn’t go as planned. That’s integrity.

If you’ve read this far and feel heartbroken because your situation doesn’t meet the legal criteria, please know this: your story still matters. Truly.

It feels wrong and gross that some have a path to hold institutions accountable and get a payout while others don’t. Why is one person’s trauma deserving of a payout when another isn’t?

We have had many express frustration and anger that they cannot work with lawyers because they have no case against an institution. And this is entirely valid.

However, lawyers like Jeff and Joseph don’t write the laws. They are lawyers who work within a system established many decades ago. The laws that they work within are made by politicians in the legislature.

As we’ve discussed throughout this, civil cases can require enormous amounts of resources. Lawyers like Jeff can spend 1,000 hours on a case, but if it doesn’t result in a financial payout for their client, they receive no money for their time and effort.

To properly represent their clients, they often have to spend many tens of thousands of dollars to hire experts to demonstrate the breadth of the harm. If they don’t secure a payout for their client, they do not get this money back.

This means that filing a civil claim against a family member is almost always impractical, unless that person has substantial financial assets. (Always check with an experienced lawyer if you’re wondering if you may have a civil claim.)

While we understand and validate the frustrations with the system, we also deeply value lawyers who take on these cases and serve their clients properly.

Many lawyers will claim to handle these cases. But do they have the knowledge, resources, and willingness to go above and beyond to serve their clients?

From everything we’ve seen over several years, when it comes to Jeff Preszler and his law firm, Preszler Injury Lawyers, they do this. They know. They have the resources. They have the grit to stay in it even when others think they shouldn’t. And they have the care and compassion to show up to the complexities that those who endured CSA face.

And the law firm simply doesn’t have a legal path to serve everyone.

But when there is a legal path… Jeff, Joseph, and their entire team at Preszler Injury Lawyers will go above and beyond.

And because they can’t serve everyone through the court system, they co-founded this movement with us.

It is a culmination of all of these reasons that we recommend them to fellow people who have endured childhood sexual abuse. Not because you should use them. Not because you should file a lawsuit. But for those who wish to use the civil process and have a legal claim, these are the kinds of people who can create change for those harmed and our communities.