What Southern California Survivors Should Know – The Best California Clergy Abuse Lawyers

Surviving clergy abuse is an ordeal in itself, but, unfortunately, the issues don’t stop there; there are many other ordeals that follow throughout the survivor’s lifetime.

One of those is choosing a lawyer; choosing someone to open up to and entrust the extremely complicated, emotionally-heavy, important, and most of all delicate task of legal representation. It’s a difficulty that can involve not only the individual, the survivor, but it can also involve religious institutions, schools, dioceses, or any other organizations that may have had a hand in the incident.

When abuse is the issue at hand, especially when children are involved, the law becomes complicated.

California’s law is no different on the matter. Because of the complexity of the entire situation and the specialized needs that are needed to tackle it, we can say that no single choice is always correct.

The correct choice here depends on the individual, the situation, and the circumstance. Within these confines, experience with clergy abuse litigation, familiarity with California law, communication, and the resources available to investigate all make factors that are important to consider.

In the following list, we will talk about some options when it comes to California lawyers and the legal firms that are worth considering.

1.  Injury Lawyer Team

The Injury Lawyer Team attorneys are first on this list, and this is because they’ve got an entire section of their law firm that specializes in clergy abuse across the U.S. When it comes to California, they’ve handled multiple cases in L.A., Orange, San Diego, Sacramento, as well as San Francisco.

One of the cases they handled resulted in a $14.2 million (USD) recovery for 6 young adults who were in the past abused by priests while they were attending a religious school.

Another case was a $2.4 million settlement that revolved around a volunteer from the Catholic church.

This law firm stands behind its claims and the number of zeroes in the settlement cases proves this.

The Injury Lawyer Team was founded and is still led by Jonathan Rosenfeld, who personally holds 25+ years of experience in personal injury. But in order to secure the best defense/prosecution for their clients, the reputable firm also works with lots of affiliated law firms and co-counsel if needed.

2.  The Zalkin Law Firm, LLP

Based in San Diego, the Zalkin Law Firm is a practice with substantial experience in representing survivors of sexual abuse. Its California practice is specifically focused on cases that include clergy abuse with directories that cover accused priests across all the California dioceses.

The firm’s founding partner, Irwin Zalkin, was a lead trial lawyer in litigation involving the Archdiocese of Los Angeles that resulted in a $660 million settlement; apart from that, the firm was also involved in a $198.5 million settlement involving the Diocese of San Diego and a $100 million settlement involving the Diocese of Orange.

This makes the firm particularly notable for survivors whose cases involve large religious organizations or multiple victims.

3.  Manly, Stewart, Finaldi & Thom

A California law firm with a big focus on abuse cases is Manly, Stewart, Finaldi & Thom. These attorneys have represented thousands of victims who experienced either clergy or school abuse. The founder of the firm, John C. Manly, has more than 25 years of experience in exactly these types of cases. Apart from representing individuals, the firm also handles cases that involve religious institutions and schools.

It is a good consideration when the case involves failure to report the said abuse or if its actions had generally contributed to an unsafe environment that caused the said issues to happen.

4.  Herman Law

The last mention on our list is Herman Law. It is a dedicated California clergy abuse practice that has an office in Woodland Hills, California.

The firm represents survivors of clergy sexual abuse and is capable of pursuing claims against both individual clergy members and general religious institutions. Herman Law has a database with priests who have been accused of sexual abuse.

What Else to Look For

Any case can require specialized legal questions.

Abuse, for example, is different from those cases that deal with injury claims. When dealing with injury, it is recommended to look for adequate and specialized representation in these situations. Experience is an important asset; however, it’s only one factor that should be taken into account here.

There are more.

Another important consideration is California’s legal deadlines. The rules governing when a survivor can bring a civil claim can depend on different factors such as the survivor’s age, when the alleged abuse occurred, and changes to California law.

It is a complicated matter. Because of that, when looking into firms, factors such as how the firm investigates allegations, communicates with clients, handles confidential information, and approaches settlement negotiations or litigation should all be taken into account.

It’s also important to note that not every allegation is true – “Innocent until proven guilty.”

There are plenty of instances where allegations were never proven or adjudicated.

So every claim should be thought out carefully.

Conclusion

Within California, there are a number of legal firms that have both the experience and knowledge in dealing with survivors of clergy and various institutional abuses. That does not mean that all those firms will work for everyone. As stated, vet one that fits with your current requirements and circumstances.

Talk with legal representation and do your own research before committing.

Such issues, as difficult as they are, require focus, and anyone who has experienced them deserves all the legal help and other help they can get.