Sexual Assault Attorneys in Maine: Your Complete Legal Guide
Maine has enacted some of the most survivor-protective civil laws in the nation. A landmark 2021 statute eliminated the civil statute of limitations entirely for childhood sexual abuse, allowing survivors to file at any time regardless of when the abuse occurred. For adult survivors, the civil deadline is six years from the assault. Maine’s criminal statutes similarly impose no time limits on prosecution for most serious sex crimes, including all child sexual abuse offenses. If you are a survivor in Maine, the law is on your side – the most important first step is speaking with an attorney to understand exactly where your case stands.
Understanding Maine Sexual Assault Laws
Criminal Statutes of Limitations
Maine’s criminal statute of limitations framework is governed by Title 17-A, Section 8 of the Maine Revised Statutes, as amended through 2023.
No criminal time limit applies to:
- All child sexual abuse offenses where the victim was under 18 at the time of the offense, including gross sexual assault (17-A M.R.S. § 253), sexual abuse of a minor (§ 254), unlawful sexual contact (§ 255-A), unlawful sexual touching (§ 260), sexual exploitation of a minor (§ 282), and incest (§ 556). Criminal charges may be filed at any time regardless of when the abuse occurred.
- Murder and first or second-degree criminal homicide.
20-year criminal SOL applies to:
- Class A, B, or C crimes involving unlawful sexual contact or gross sexual assault where the victim was 18 or older at the time of the offense (17-A M.R.S. § 8, sub-§ 2-A).
6-year criminal SOL applies to:
- All other Class A, B, or C felonies not covered above.
3-year criminal SOL applies to:
- Class D and E crimes (misdemeanors).
Maine’s criminal SOL may be tolled (suspended) while the defendant is absent from the state, though this extension is capped at five additional years.
Civil Statutes of Limitations
Maine’s civil SOL framework was fundamentally restructured by legislation enacted in October 2021 (codified at 14 M.R.S. § 752-C).
Childhood sexual abuse – no time limit (14 M.R.S. § 752-C(1)):
Maine eliminated the civil statute of limitations for all claims of childhood sexual abuse, effective October 2021. Survivors who were abused as minors may file a civil lawsuit at any time, no matter how many decades have passed. Critically, this law is retroactive under § 752-C(3) – even claims that were previously time-barred under the old statute are revived and may now be brought. The covered offenses include all forms of sexual abuse of minors as defined under Maine criminal law.
Adult survivors:
For survivors abused as adults, the general personal injury statute of limitations under 14 M.R.S. § 752 applies. Maine provides a 6-year civil filing window from the date of the assault – one of the more generous adult SOL periods in the country.
Special rule – authority figures (14 M.R.S. § 752-F):
No civil statute of limitations applies to sexual acts committed by individuals in positions of authority over the victim, including teachers, employers, supervisors, psychiatrists, psychologists, and licensed social workers acting in a professional capacity. Survivors abused by these categories of individuals may file at any time regardless of their age at the time of the abuse.
Institutional liability:
Maine law allows survivors to sue institutions and organizations – including churches, schools, youth programs, sports organizations, healthcare providers, employers, and summer camps – whose negligence enabled the abuse. The standard is whether the institution knew or should have known of the risk and failed to act. Institutional defendants often carry insurance coverage, which can significantly affect the practical recovery available to survivors.
Maine Sexual Assault Attorneys
Berman & Simmons
Address: Multiple offices statewide – Portland, Lewiston, Bangor
Phone: (207) 383-3216 (Portland); (207) 307-0322 (Bangor)
Website: https://www.bermansimmons.com
Berman & Simmons is the only law firm in Maine with a dedicated practice group exclusively representing survivors of sexual abuse. The firm pioneered trauma-informed lawyering in Maine – every attorney and staff member on the sexual abuse team has completed specialized trauma-informed training to help survivors navigate the legal process. The firm has achieved more million-dollar verdicts and settlements for survivors of sex abuse than any other firm in Maine and has recovered over $1.5 billion across all plaintiff practice areas over more than a century of operation.
The sexual abuse practice group is led by attorney Michael Bigos and includes shareholders Susan A. Faunce (Managing Director, President of the Maine State Bar Association), Travis M. Brennan, Timothy M. Kenlan, Elizabeth A. Kayatta, Charles P. Hehmeyer, and Christopher C. Boots. The firm has pursued justice for survivors of clergy abuse (including extensive litigation against the Catholic Church in Maine), youth sports abuse, school abuse, summer camp abuse, and institutional abuse in healthcare and corrections settings. Berman & Simmons also has experience pursuing claims against deceased perpetrators through their estates and against institutional defendants in complex multi-party litigation. The firm works on a contingency fee basis – no payment unless compensation is recovered. Free, confidential consultations are available statewide.
Garmey Law
Address: 482 Congress Street, Suite 402, Portland, ME 04101
Phone: (207) 899-4644
Website: https://www.garmeylaw.com
Garmey Law is a Portland-based plaintiff trial firm with a dedicated sexual abuse and assault practice. Founding partner Terry Garmey has more than 40 years of plaintiff trial experience and has earned more 7-figure verdicts than any other attorney in Maine. He was the first Maine lawyer invited to the Inner Circle of Advocates – a national organization of the top 100 plaintiff trial attorneys in the country – and is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He has been repeatedly named Personal Injury Litigator of the Year for Portland, Maine by Best Lawyers and received the Legends Award from the Maine Trial Lawyers Association in 2018.
The firm’s sexual abuse practice is handled by Terry Garmey and attorneys Ali (Alexis) Garmey Chardon, David Kreisler, Christopher Harmon, and others. Documented results include a $700,000 jury verdict for three young women groped by a school security guard, confidential settlements against the Catholic Church for clergy abuse survivors, and a confidential settlement against a summer camp for a minor sexually abused by other campers. Notable former Garmey Law attorney Christian Foster (now at CFoster Law, PLLC) obtained a $595,000 verdict for a client harmed by a partner’s physical and verbal abuse while at Garmey Law.
Garmey Law pursues claims directly against perpetrators as well as against institutions – churches, schools, hospitals, employers – that enabled the abuse. Cases are handled on a contingency fee basis, with all litigation costs fronted by the firm. Free confidential consultations are available.
CFoster Law, PLLC
Address: Portland, Maine
Phone: (207) 305-3854
Website: https://www.ccfosterlaw.com
CFoster Law is a Portland trial firm led by attorney Christian Foster, who graduated with honors from the University of Maine School of Law in 2000 and has more than 22 years of courtroom experience throughout Maine, from Kittery to Caribou. Foster is a Top 100 Trial Lawyer recognized by The National Trial Lawyers, serves on the Board of Governors of the Maine Trial Lawyers Association, is a peer reviewer for the American Association of Justice, and is a member of the Edward Thaxter Gignoux Inn of Courts. He is admitted to practice in Maine, Massachusetts, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
The firm handles civil claims for sexual abuse and assault survivors, including cases involving institutional negligence by employers, schools, summer camps, and other organizations. Foster has obtained seven-figure verdicts and settlements throughout Maine, including a $595,000 verdict on behalf of a survivor of relationship abuse and a confidential settlement against a summer camp for a minor sexually abused by fellow campers. The firm pursues both direct claims against perpetrators and negligence claims against third-party institutions. Free consultations are available and cases are handled on a contingency fee basis.
Levy Konigsberg LLP (Maine Practice)
Address: National firm with Maine practice; primary office 605 Third Avenue, 33rd Floor, New York, NY
Phone: 800-315-3806
Website: https://www.levylaw.com/maine-sexual-abuse-lawyers/
Levy Konigsberg is a nationally recognized trial firm that has recovered over $3 billion in sexual abuse compensation for survivors nationwide. The firm maintains an active Maine practice and has represented survivors of clergy abuse at the Portland Roman Catholic Diocese, survivors abused in Maine youth detention facilities, survivors abused at summer camps along Maine’s lakes and coast, and survivors of abuse in school settings throughout the state. Levy Konigsberg has reviewed and pursued claims arising from historic abuse at institutions including the Freeport-area Pine Tree Academy and has represented former inmates who were sexually abused at Maine youth correctional facilities.
The firm has extensive experience with Maine’s 2021 civil SOL reform and can evaluate whether previously time-barred claims are now revivable under the retroactive provision of 14 M.R.S. § 752-C. Levy Konigsberg takes cases on a contingency fee basis, with no cost unless compensation is recovered. Free, confidential consultations are available.
Key Considerations for Maine Survivors
The 2021 law is retroactive. Maine’s elimination of the civil SOL for childhood sexual abuse applies to all claims, including those that were time-barred before the law took effect in October 2021. If you were abused as a child and previously believed it was too late to sue, that assumption may no longer be correct.
The 6-year adult SOL requires prompt action. While six years is more generous than many states, the clock begins running from the date of the assault for adult survivors. An attorney can evaluate whether any tolling exceptions extend your deadline.
Institutional defendants matter. In many Maine cases, the most practically recoverable damages come from institutional defendants – schools, churches, summer camps, youth sports organizations, healthcare providers, and employers – rather than from individual perpetrators. Identifying and proving institutional negligence is often the most important strategic decision in a Maine sexual abuse case.
Civil and criminal cases are separate. A civil lawsuit for financial compensation does not require that criminal charges were filed or that the perpetrator was convicted. The civil standard of proof – more probable than not – is lower than the criminal standard of beyond a reasonable doubt. Survivors have recovered substantial civil compensation in Maine even after perpetrators were acquitted or never charged criminally.
Authority figure claims have no time limit. If the person who abused you was your teacher, employer, therapist, psychiatrist, psychologist, or social worker acting in a professional capacity, Maine law provides no civil filing deadline regardless of when the abuse occurred or your age at the time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the deadline to file a civil sexual assault lawsuit in Maine?
For childhood sexual abuse, there is no deadline – survivors may file at any time, and the law is retroactive to claims that were previously time-barred. For abuse by an authority figure (teacher, employer, therapist, etc.), there is also no deadline regardless of age. For adult survivors abused by non-authority-figure perpetrators, the deadline is 6 years from the assault.
Does it matter if my abuser was never criminally charged or was acquitted?
No. Civil and criminal cases are entirely separate. You can pursue a civil lawsuit regardless of whether criminal charges were filed, and regardless of the outcome of any criminal proceedings. The civil burden of proof is lower than the criminal standard.
Can I sue the institution, not just the individual perpetrator?
Yes. Maine law allows survivors to sue organizations and institutions whose negligence enabled the abuse – including schools, churches, summer camps, sports programs, employers, and healthcare providers. Institutional claims are often critically important when the individual perpetrator lacks assets.
What compensation can I recover?
Maine law allows recovery of economic damages including medical and therapy costs and lost wages, as well as non-economic damages for pain, suffering, and emotional distress. In cases involving egregious institutional conduct, punitive damages may also be available.
What should I do first?
Seek medical attention if needed. Preserve any evidence you have. Contact a sexual assault attorney as soon as possible – even if you believe it may be too late, the 2021 law may have revived your claim. Maine’s Sexual Assault Crisis and Support Center network can also provide support resources at any stage.