Institutional Abuse

This scheme was established for people who were the victims of child sexual abuse whilst in an institution, for example a school, church or other organisation.

To apply to the scheme, a form must be filled out and supporting documentation must be supplied, including proof of attendance at or involvement with the institution and proof of the abuse including witnesses and medical reports.

If you are able to access the scheme, you are entitled to:

• Counselling;
• A direct personal response from the institution; and
• A redress payment which varies depending on the severity of the abuse.

This claim involves establishing that the defendant (for example, a school, church or other organisation) was negligent in that they knew or should have known that the offender was abusing you. Organisations are also now held to be strictly liable for any actions of offending employees which means they cannot argue they were not aware the offender was a risk of causing abuse.

Once negligence is established, you can claim damages for pain and suffering damages depending upon the impact of the abuse, medical and like expenses and loss of past and future earnings and earning capacity.

Initial Consultation

We will meet with you to get the story from you and discuss whether you have a claim. We will then explain the options, what outcomes are available, provide our advice and recommendation and discuss our fees. We usually conduct these matters on a “no win, no fee basis”.

National Redress Scheme- preparation of the claim

We will prepare the claim form for you to check and then lodge the claim with the Scheme. The Scheme will then confirm they have everything they require and will then the claim will be considered. This process can take a number of months but we will keep you informed at every step of the process.

Consideration of the offer from the Scheme

The Scheme will make an offer once they have considered all the relevant information. We will provide you with advice on the offer and if you are happy with it, we will finalise the matter for you. The offer can be disputed if you are not happy with it.

Common Law claims

These claims are more complicated and the process is longer. We will discuss the process with you in detail as every claim is different. However, most claims involve trying to negotiate with the other party and if the matter cannot be resolved engaging a barrister early to provide advice and draft the necessary court documents. If the matter has to go to court, we will guide you through every step of the process.

We have extensive experience in the area and have conducted numerous successful claims for clients. We realise this is a stressful time and offer a personalised service. Being local, we are only a visit phone call away and you will always be able to speak to your lawyer, not a call centre.

We usually conduct these matters on a “no win, no fee basis”.