I was sexually abused in an institution as a child. What can I do?
Don’t negotiate with the institution without talking to a lawyer first. Even if the person talking to you seems very nice, their job is to pay you as little as possible. You should get proper legal advice about your options. Your Rightside Legal lawyer will be able to tell you whether you can bring a civil case (this would mean suing the institution, which is almost always the best option for you financially), or whether you need to consider another option.
Why should I choose a Rightside lawyer to help me?
Don’t choose a law firm which hasn’t been to trial and won. Your lawyer will have to make the institution pay – and what institutions fear is a law firm which will drag them into court. So make sure your law firm has a record – winning trials, not just settling claims. Ask them. Many law firms boast about their settlements but have never been to trial. Rightside has won more abuse verdicts than all other law firms combined. Fees are another issue to be careful about. Rightside works on a No Win No Fee basis – that means we fund the litigation, and you only pay when we succeed. Taking this a step further, we also cap our fees to give you greater certainty. On top of that, we are easy to reach and will give you straight answers about your case. Bringing a compensation case about your experience of child abuse can be challenging. You need a lawyer who understands that and communicates clearly and thoughtfully, and who is willing to fight hard for what your claim is worth.
I signed an agreement years ago in exchange for a small sum of compensation. Can I bring a case today?
Yes, in many circumstances you can. Rightside Legal is the first law firm to get court decisions in Victoria and Western Australia knocking down old, unfair child abuse settlements. So talk to one of our lawyers today about your options, because we’ve had real success in getting rid of old settlements and making things right for our clients.
How much will it cost to engage Rightside Legal to be my lawyers?
Rightside works on a no win no fee basis. When some firms say that, they mean they won’t charge for their work until the end of the claim, but you will have to pay their out of pocket expenses like expert reports. By contrast Rightside funds all expenses in your claim. We also routinely cap fees to give you certainty. You should never be embarrassed to talk about fees with your lawyer. At Rightside we’re happy to answer any question you might have about fees.
The abuse impacted my education and work life. Can I claim for this?
Yes. Definitely. Incompetent lawyers often ignore this category of damages but it is almost always the most valuable category of compensation. Talk to a Rightside lawyer about our experience in claiming and wining economic loss claims, and how we can use our expert knowledge to help you.
What is the National Redress Scheme?
The National Redress Scheme was set up by the government following the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse. It offers extremely limited compensation to survivors. It is almost always much better to sue the institution rather than apply for Redress. If you have already applied for Redress and are not sure if you’ve done the right thing, speak to a Rightside lawyer quickly to find out if you should withdraw the application or get extra time to consider any offer made to you.
Should I apply to the National Redress Scheme?
No. Do not apply unless you have been told by a lawyer who has real experience in sexual abuse claims that you cannot do a civil case. Even then, you should seek a second opinion. Redress is a good backup only if a civil case is impossible. And remember, if you accept Redress compensation, you permanently give up your rights to bring a civil claim (ie: sue over the abuse). You may be giving up hundreds of thousands of dollars when you accept Redress. So get advice first. Please note: applications for the National Redress Scheme close on 30 June 2027.
No Win. No Fee.
Capped Pricing.
At Rightside we don’t have a string of expensive offices, we don’t have dozens of partners and we don’t have expensive marketing campaigns to fund. What we do is prepare your claim properly and fight hard for 100% of what your claim is worth.
We understand that injured or ill people looking for a lawyer are often anxious and uncertain about the whole legal process. We’ll do our best to eliminate the uncertainties. We work on a No Win No Fee basis – that means we fund the litigation, and you only pay when we succeed. Taking this a step further, we also cap our fees to give our clients greater certainty.
Rightside Legal Melbourne
Suite 3, Level 5, 533 Little Lonsdale Street,
Melbourne, VIC 3000
Rightside Legal Perth
1/58 Walcott St Mt Lawley,
WA 6050