If you or your child have suffered from sexual abuse, it’s impossible to entirely understand the trauma you’ve dealt with and the challenges you’ve overcome. Here at Holman Schiavone, we have the skills and experience as sexual abuse lawyers in Missouri to fight relentlessly on your behalf. We have dedicated ourselves to becoming advocates for those survivors in life that have gone through the unimaginable.
Finding a Sexual Abuse Lawyer in Missouri
It’s vital to contact an experienced lawyer as soon as possible if you or your children have suffered abuse. Obviously, the first step is always to seek emergency treatment if necessary and then the appropriate authorities. However, after calling the authorities, your next call should be to Holman Schiavone. We have the best legal minds, ready to take on your case and fight for you. Don’t let your abuser win; contact Holman Schiavone today.
We have a long history of representing sexual abuse survivors of all ages. We handle every case with the utmost empathy, understanding, and compassion because we genuinely care about our clients like family. While we may be understanding with your clients, we fight aggressively against their abusers. We will fight our hardest to get you the closure and support you deserve, both financially and emotionally.
Find the Right Firm with the Right Experience
Think about it: if you were going to get routine teeth cleaning, you wouldn’t see a heart doctor, right? Well, the same principle applies to finding the right lawyer. A conventional personal injury attorney won’t have the requisite skills and experience necessary to truly represent your best interests.
In fact, sexual abuse cases are typically very complex. That’s why it’s essential to find a firm with competent sexual abuse lawyers that have years of experience. Sexual abuse cases also require a thorough knowledge of the law and the highly complicated liability issues and emotional considerations that simply aren’t present in other types of cases.
Hold Your Abuser Accountable for Their Actions
As an abuse survivor, perhaps you feel that you’re not being heard. Taking action against your abuser can be the first step in getting the emotional and psychological treatment and eventually closure every survivor needs. We can help you with that. Our lawyers will offer compassionate guidance and help you explore the legal options available to you. Our consultation process is entirely free and, of course, 100% confidential.
When you come to Holman Schiavone for the first time, you can rest assured that our lawyers will listen carefully to you so we can better understand your situation and how we can best help you. We’re experts at designing effective and practical legal strategies to get you the compensation you deserve while guiding you through the entire process.
Find the Justice You Truly Deserve
While we’re going to ask for the highest amount of financial compensation possible, it’s important to remember that for many of our clients, it’s not about the money. It’s about finding the strength to fight back and willpower to stand up for themselves for the first time. It’s about getting answers and results while ensuring our clients get the treatment they need at the same time. We go to bat for our clients, and you should expect nothing less from the attorney you hire.
Be Aware of Your Rights as a Survivor
Sexual abuse laws vary by state, and Missouri has its own complex laws regarding the statute of limitations and sexual abuse cases. However, no matter what state you live in, there are some fundamental rights afforded to survivors of abuse, including:
- The right to appear in court proceedings
- The right to seek victim compensation
- The right to take part in your trial
- The right to be protected from harassment at the trial
What Can You Seek Compensation For?
You might be curious about what you can seek compensation for when it comes to a sexual abuse case. Whether you were abused by a teacher, friend, stranger, member of the clergy, or a family member, you have the legal right to seek compensation for your suffering. You can ask for financial compensation for:
- Costs associated with counseling, treatment, and recovery
- Emotional pain and suffering
- Physical harm or injuries you suffered
- Necessary medical costs of care
- Financial and emotional damage
It’s also important to remember that there is no cap on the damages you can seek as a sexual abuse survivor. That means that there’s no limit to the amount of financial compensation you can receive. Some cases have been settled for millions of dollars, even. However, it’s crucial to remember that every case is different. That’s why it’s so important to contact us today so we can go over every aspect of your case and develop the best legal strategy possible.
Child Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse of a child is one of the most heinous and traumatizing crimes imaginable. As much as people may not like thinking about it, unfortunately, it happens. Whether it’s a teacher, family member, friend, or clergy, you should call the authorities and then a lawyer right away if your child has been abused. In fact, about 93% of child sexual abuse cases are perpetrated by somebody known to the child.
RAINN, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, is the largest anti-sexual violence non-profit organization in the United States. According to RAINN, about half of all the (reported) victims of sexual assault in the United States are children under the age of 18—those are scary numbers. Here at Holman Schiavone, we can help you if you suffered from abuse as a child or your child has suffered.
Your Rights as a Child Sexual Abuse Survivor
Missouri has extended statute of limitations laws in sexual abuse cases. A statute of limitations is a law that concerns how much time may pass before somebody cannot legally file a case. Once the victim reaches their 18th birthday, they have up to ten years to file a suit for child sexual abuse.
While the time allotted for sexual abuse survivors is longer than most civil cases, you still only have limited time to file a case. That’s why it’s so essential to contact an experienced sexual abuse lawyer today before any more time passes. The longer you wait, the harder it is to obtain legally useable evidence for your case.
Your Rights as an Adult Sexual Abuse Survivor
If you experienced sexual abuse as an adult, it’s important to remember that the statute of limitations is different. If you experience sexual abuse as an adult, you have a much shorter time to file: only five years from the date the abuse occurred to file a claim. No matter what you’ve suffered, it’s crucial to contact us here at Holman Schiavone as soon as possible so we can get the process started.
How to Find Help as a Survivor
If you’re a survivor of sexual abuse, it’s imperative to get treatment and counseling to help you cope. If you want some quick, short-term help, contact RAINN’s 24/7 hotline for sexual abuse survivors at 1.800.656.HOPE. You can also visit their website at www.rainn.org, where they have a live chat feature and many other resources for survivors, all in one place. You can also try seeing a therapist or going to counseling, which is an effective treatment method for many survivors.
If you’ve suffered from sexual abuse, it’s important to remember one thing: you’re a survivor. You survived one of the worst things imaginable, and you’re still here, alive, and fighting. Let us help you get the justice and compensation you deserve: hire Holman Schiavone today. We specialize in sexual abuse cases, and we have dedicated ourselves to fighting relentlessly for our clients because we care about each one like family. Call the experts at Holman Schiavone today for a 100% free and confidential consultation.
