Our guide explains when you could make a claim with historic sexual abuse solicitors. We discuss the benefits of working with a solicitor for a criminal injury claim and how a No Win No Fee agreement typically operates.
Historic sexual abuse solicitors guide
Following this, we outline the criteria you need to fulfil in order to claim historical abuse compensation via the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. Throughout this guide, we will refer to them as the CICA.
With this in mind, our guide also explores the evidence you may be expected to provide when making this kind of claim and the time limitations you should adhere to.
Furthermore, while we can’t provide you with the average payouts for sexual abuse claims, we can explain how claims are valued and the factors that could affect the award you receive.
For more information about working with historic sexual abuse solicitors, speak to a member of our team to organise a free consultation about your claim:
- Get in touch with us via phone using the number above
- Contact us by filling out this page online
- Use our live feature to receive support
Choose A Section
- What Are The Advantages Of Using Historic Sexual Abuse Solicitors To Claim?
- Why Use Our Panel Of No Win No Fee Historic Sexual Abuse Solicitors?
- When Are You Eligible To Seek Historic Abuse Compensation?
- What Compensation Could Be Received From Historic Abuse Claims?
- What Do You Need To Make A Sexual Abuse Claim Through The CICA?
- Learn More About Making A Criminal Injuries Compensation Claim
What Are The Advantages Of Using Historic Sexual Abuse Solicitors To Claim?
Though lawyers are not necessary for making a claim, they can be useful during the process. Historic sexual abuse lawyers will have skills and expertise that can work to your advantage when making your claim.
The benefits of using solicitors are as follows:
- They can give you an idea of the payout you could receive.
- They can handle claim-related correspondence.
- Their familiarity with handling sexual abuse claims can be useful in giving you an idea of the timescale you should expect.
- They can assist you in acquiring the evidence you will need to claim.
You may assume that you need to find and work with a lawyer in your local area. However, it is more important to find a solicitor that is suitable to yourself and the nature of your claim instead of using the services of one based solely on geographical proximity.
For more information on how one of the historic sexual abuse solicitors from our panel could help, please contact our team.
Why Use Our Panel Of No Win No Fee Historic Sexual Abuse Solicitors?
If you work with a sexual abuse claims solicitor, they may offer to represent you under a No Win No Fee agreement. A common kind of this is a Conditional Fee Agreement.
These arrangements tend to mean that if your claim is unsuccessful, you will not pay your lawyer for the work they’ve carried out. Furthermore, you won’t pay them any upfront or ongoing fees. Your solicitor will deduct a success fee if you are awarded compensation.
A success fee is a percentage of your compensation that your solicitor will take. The Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013 prohibits solicitors from taking more than a legally capped amount. You will usually discuss the percentage with your solicitor before you enter the agreement, and it will always leave you with the majority of your settlement.
Please contact us for more information about working with solicitors on a No Win No Fee basis. If you have a legitimate claim, you could be connected with a No Win No Fee lawyer from our panel.
When Are You Eligible To Seek Historic Abuse Compensation?
Claims for historical sexual abuse could be made in a number of different ways. For example, you could claim a vicariously-liable third party. For example, you could be entitled to make a sexual school abuse claim against the school if they failed to conduct the required check on a member of staff who went on to abuse you. In some cases, a claim could be made directly against the perpetrator.
If no other options are available to you, you may be able to claim through the CICA. They’re an executive agency of the government that administers a scheme to compensate those who have been harmed by violent crimes in England, Wales, and Scotland.
You’d need to meet the following criteria:
- You reported the incident to the police.
- A crime of violence was the cause of your injuries.
- The incident occurred in Scotland, England, Wales, or another relevant place as set out by the CICA.
The definition of a crime of violence can include violent attacks, arson, and sexual assault. For more information about making a claim with sexual assault solicitors, please speak to our team through our contact methods.
What Compensation Could Be Received From Historic Abuse Claims?
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 provides a tariff of injuries that gives an idea of how much criminal injury claims could be worth. The scheme allows you to claim for three injuries using this main tariff. Claims for multiple injuries will be subject to a formula.
You will receive 100% of the compensation for your highest-valued injury, 30% for your second-highest or equally-valued injury, and 15% for the injury with the third-highest value, or where this injury has an equal value to at least one of the other injuries you’re claiming for.
You can receive additional payments that will not be subjected to this formula that come from a separate tariff. These payments can apply if the crime of violence caused a pregnancy, a loss of a foetus, or a sexually-transmitted infection or disease.
Examples of CICA payouts are set out in the table below. Speak with our team for a further assessment of how much your claim could be worth.
| Injury | Notes | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Sexual Assault (Victim Under 18) | An assault resulting in a severe permanent mental illness that is disabling and confirmed by a psychologist's prognosis. | £27,000 |
| Non-consensual penetration of the vagina, mouth, or anus with a penis results in internal injuries to the body on a serious level. | £22,000 | |
| Non-consensual penetration with a penis of the vagina, mouth, or anus in one incident involving two or more attackers. | £13,500 | |
| Assaults happen in repeated incidents for a period of three years or more. | £8,200 | |
| Minor acts that are sexual, physical, done over clothing and not involving penetration. | £1,000 | |
| Serious acts that are sexual, physical, underneath clothing and not involving penetration. | £2,000 | |
| Sexual Assault (Victim Is Any Age) | An assault resulting in a permanent moderate mental illness confirmed by a psychologists prognosis. | £22,000 |
| Additional Payments | Infection with one or more of HIV or Hepatitis B or C. | £22,000 |
| Pregnancy resulting from the sexual assault. | £5,500 | |
| Loss of a foetus. | £5,500 |
Special Expenses In Historic Sexual Abuse Claims
You could also receive compensation for certain special expenses. These cover losses such as:
- Any equipment you relied on that was damaged in the incident, such as a walking aid or a pair of glasses.
- Medical treatment that you received on the NHS or paid for privately where this doesn’t cost you any more than it would on the NHS.
- Home adaptations you have paid for, such as a stair lift.
These losses must be necessary, reasonable and a direct result of the incident you’re claiming for. Historic sexual abuse solicitors may be able to assist you in this process. Please contact us for further guidance.
What Do You Need To Make A Sexual Abuse Claim Through The CICA?
You could be asked to provide evidence to support your claim when pursuing compensation through the CICA.
Evidence you may be expected to produce include:
- Proof that you meet the residency requirements.
- Your police reference number to demonstrate that you reported the incident to the police.
- Medical evidence.
You will also need to adhere to the time limit when making a claim in this way. Generally, you have two years from when you reported the incident to the police to start a claim. You are expected to have reported the event to the police as soon as possible; if there is a delay, you should be able to illustrate that exceptional circumstances prevented you from doing so. If this is the case, you could still be eligible to claim for sexual abuse after reporting it years later.
Please don’t hesitate to contact our team for a consultation. Our advisors have access to historic sexual abuse solicitors who could help you with your claim.
Want To Know If You Could Claim Through The CICA? Contact Us For Free Today
Get in touch with us today to receive a free consultation about your claim. Our advisors are here to provide you with the legal advice you need. Historic sexual abuse solicitors from our panel may be able to help you with your claim; an advisor could connect you with a legal representative if your case is valid.
To reach us with your queries, please do so by:
- Get in touch with us via phone using the number above
- Contact us by filling out this page online
- Using our live advice for support
Learn More About Making A Criminal Injuries Compensation Claim
Thank you for reading our guide on making claims with historic sexual abuse solicitors. For more of our information, please visit the guides below:
- Can You Use A Sexual Assault Compensation Calculator For A Claim?
- Claims For Sexual Abuse By Your Mother
- Statistics On Sexual Assault
For external information, please explore the sites linked:
- Help After Rape And Sexual Assault – NHS
- Reporting Abuse – NSPCC
- Report A Rape Or Sexual Assault – Government Guidance
Writer E Marley
Publisher F Scrimshaw
