Sexual Assault Attorneys in New York: Your Complete Legal Guide

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New York gives a survivor of sexual abuse as a minor until age 55 to sue anyone whose intentional or negligent conduct is alleged to have resulted in the abuse, without first filing a notice of claim, even against a government defendant. An adult survivor has twenty years for claims based on rape and certain related offenses, while a general assault or battery claim has one year. Both revival windows, the Child Victims Act window and the Adult Survivors Act window, have closed. Below are those rules from the New York Civil Practice Law and Rules, the criminal deadlines, and seven firms that represent survivors in New York.

Call 911 if you are in danger. New York’s 24/7 statewide domestic and sexual violence hotline is 1-800-942-6906, and in New York City the 24/7 hotline is 1-800-621-4673 or 311.

The CPLR sections below were read on the New York State Senate’s official laws site in October 2026; the criminal statute and court decisions come from CHILD USA’s review. The page explains New York law in general and does not assess any particular claim.

Abuse as a Minor: Until Age 55, Against Any Responsible Party

CPLR § 208(b), as CHILD USA summarizes it, allows a claim for injury from conduct that would be a sexual offense under Penal Law article 130, incest under §§ 255.25 to 255.27, or use of a child in a sexual performance under § 263.05, committed against a person under 18, to be brought “against any party whose intentional or negligent acts or omissions are alleged to have resulted in” that conduct, on or before the plaintiff “reaches the age of fifty-five years.” No notice of claim or notice of intention to file a claim is required, including against government defendants.

The phrase “any party whose intentional or negligent acts or omissions” brings schools, dioceses, hospitals, and other organizations within the same age-55 period as the abuser. A claim that was already time-barred on February 14, 2019 is different: it could be revived only through the window described next, which has closed.

The Child Victims Act Window Closed August 14, 2021

CPLR § 214-g revived childhood claims that were time-barred as of February 14, 2019, or that had failed for lack of a notice of claim. CHILD USA reports that revived actions could be filed from August 14, 2019 to August 14, 2021, after a 2020 amendment extended the original end date by a year, and that three Appellate Division departments upheld the revival in 2023.

Adult Survivors: Twenty Years for Rape-Based Claims, One Year for Battery

CPLR § 213-c covers civil claims “for physical, psychological or other injury or condition suffered by such person as a result of conduct which would constitute” rape in the first degree under Penal Law § 130.35, specified subdivisions of rape in the second and third degree, certain former crimes under article 130, and incest in the first or second degree in listed circumstances. Such claims may be brought “within twenty years.” The section adds: “Nothing in this section shall be construed to require that a criminal charge be brought or a criminal conviction be obtained as a condition of bringing a civil cause of action.”

For other adult claims, CPLR § 215, whose heading lists actions “for assault, battery, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, libel or slander,” provides that “The following actions shall be commenced within one year.” Whether a particular assault falls within § 213-c’s list or under the one-year rule can decide whether a claim is timely, so it is the first question to resolve.

The Adult Survivors Act Window Has Closed

CPLR § 214-j revived adult claims for sexual offenses under Penal Law article 130, and incest, against “any party alleging intentional or negligent acts or omissions,” and allowed them to be “commenced not earlier than six months after, and not later than one year and six months after the effective date of this section.” The Governor signed the Adult Survivors Act on May 24, 2022, and the Governor’s announcement stated that “The one-year window will begin six months from signing.” That one-year filing period has ended.

Criminal Deadlines Under CPL § 30.10

Prosecution is the state’s decision. CHILD USA, reading Criminal Procedure Law § 30.10 as revised in July 2024, reports:

  • No limit (§ 30.10(2)(a)): any class A felony, rape in the first degree, aggravated sexual abuse in the first degree, course of sexual conduct against a child in the first degree, incest in the first degree, and a crime defined or formerly defined in Penal Law § 130.50.
  • Twenty years, or ten after first report, whichever is earlier (§ 30.10(2)(a-1)): rape in the second degree under § 130.30(2), criminal sexual act in the second degree under § 130.45(2), and incest in the second degree.
  • Ten years (§ 30.10(2)(a-2)): rape in the third degree under § 130.25(1) or (3) and criminal sexual act in the third degree under § 130.40(1) or (3).
  • Child victims (§ 30.10(3)(f)): the period does not begin until the child turns 23 or the offense is reported to law enforcement or the statewide central register, whichever is earlier.

The civil rules above do not depend on any prosecution.

Sorting Out a New York Claim

The survivor’s age at the time, the specific offense the conduct matches, and the organizations involved decide which New York rule applies. With those facts, a lawyer can settle:

  1. For childhood abuse, what is the 55th-birthday date under CPLR § 208(b), and which parties’ acts or omissions are alleged to have resulted in the abuse?
  2. For an adult assault, does the conduct fit the offenses listed in § 213-c, giving twenty years, or does the one-year rule in § 215 govern?
  3. Was a claim filed, or could one have been filed, during the Child Victims Act or Adult Survivors Act windows?
  4. Is any defendant a public school district or government body, and how does the no-notice rule apply?
  5. How will the survivor’s name appear in the filings?
  6. Does the firm represent any diocese, hospital, university, or insurer that may be a defendant?

New York Sexual Assault Attorneys

The DiPietro Law Firm, P.C.

The DiPietro Law Firm holds the highest dollar amount settlement recovered in New York State for sexual abuse, having recovered over $236 million from Columbia University, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, and Robert Hadden – the university’s OB-GYN gynecologist who sexually abused hundreds of patients over decades. Founder Anthony T. DiPietro has been selected to New York Super Lawyers for over ten years consecutively and was named to America’s Top 100 High-Stakes Litigators in 2022. The firm has been leading the civil accountability effort against Columbia and Robert Hadden since the beginning. Free confidential consultation. Contingency fee.

Herman Law

Herman Law is a nationally recognized sexual abuse firm with over 35 years of experience. Founder Jeff Herman has secured landmark victories including a $100 million verdict, and the firm has represented thousands of survivors across the United States. The firm represented survivors in CVA and ASA litigation and continues to handle claims under New York’s ongoing SOL framework against perpetrators, institutions, churches, schools, and healthcare providers. Free confidential consultation. Contingency fee.

The Zalkin Law Firm, LLP

The Zalkin Law Firm is a nationally recognized sexual abuse plaintiff firm that has represented survivors against some of the most powerful institutions in the country, securing multi-million-dollar verdicts. The firm handles cases under New York’s CVA and ongoing SOL framework, specializing in institutional accountability cases. New York court filings routinely permit use of initials or pseudonyms to protect survivor privacy. Free confidential consultation. Contingency fee.

Manly, Stewart & Finaldi

Manly Stewart & Finaldi is one of the nation’s leading sexual abuse litigation firms with over $2 billion in total recoveries. The firm handles high-profile institutional abuse cases and routinely represents survivors in complex national litigation including clergy abuse, school and university abuse, and organizational failures. Strict confidentiality protocols are maintained for all survivors. Free confidential consultation. Contingency fee.

Levy Konigsberg LLP

Levy Konigsberg is a New York-based nationally recognized institutional abuse firm with over $3 billion in sexual abuse compensation recovered. The firm is actively litigating CVA and ASA claims and handles cases against New York’s Catholic dioceses, Boy Scouts of America, juvenile detention facilities, and other institutions. The firm pioneered institutional abuse litigation over three decades. Free confidential consultation. Contingency fee.

Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Firm

Jacob D. Fuchsberg is a century-old New York plaintiff’s firm with a dedicated sexual abuse practice. The firm represents survivors in civil claims against individual perpetrators and institutions, pursuing claims under the CVA, the 20-year adult SOL, and the NYC GMVPL. Free confidential consultation. Contingency fee.

Andreozzi + Foote

Andreozzi + Foote is one of the country’s top sexual abuse litigation firms, handling cases involving healthcare settings, nursing homes, human trafficking, and institutional abuse under New York law. The firm has consistently been listed among the nation’s leading sexual abuse plaintiff firms. Free confidential consultation. Contingency fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

I was abused at 12 and I am now 50. Can I still sue in New York?

Possibly. CPLR § 208(b) allows claims until the 55th birthday against the abuser and any party whose intentional or negligent acts or omissions are alleged to have resulted in the abuse. But a claim that was already time-barred on February 14, 2019 could be revived only during the Child Victims Act window, which closed on August 14, 2021. A lawyer should check whether your claim was still alive in February 2019.

Do I need to file a notice of claim before suing a school district?

Not for a claim under § 208(b). CHILD USA reports that the section requires no notice of claim or notice of intention to file a claim, including against government defendants.

I was raped as an adult eight years ago. Is it too late?

Not if the conduct falls within CPLR § 213-c, which allows twenty years for claims based on rape in the first degree and the other listed offenses. A claim framed only as assault or battery under § 215 has one year.

Can I still use the Adult Survivors Act?

No. Its one-year filing window, which began six months after the law was signed on May 24, 2022, has ended.

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