Sexual Assault Attorneys in Alabama: Your Complete Legal Guide

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A survivor of a sex offense committed before age 19 has six years after the 19th birthday to sue in Alabama, which is the 25th birthday, and Alabama does not apply a court-made discovery rule to child sexual abuse. For an adult, the Legislature has described injury claims arising from a sex offense as two-year claims, while a separate six-year section covers trespass to the person, so the safe planning date is two years. The one exception that reopens old claims is narrow: a 2024 law lets survivors file against a single bankruptcy estate, and it repeals itself on December 31, 2026. Below are those rules, the criminal deadlines, questions for a first meeting with a lawyer, and five firms that represent survivors in Alabama.

Anyone in immediate danger should call 911. The Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence runs a 24/7 hotline at 1-800-650-6522, and the National Sexual Assault Hotline is 1-800-656-4673.

The civil rules below come from documents of the Alabama Legislature and a decision of the Supreme Court of Alabama listed at the end, and the revival and criminal provisions from CHILD USA’s September 2026 review. The page explains the law in general terms and cannot assess a specific claim.

Abuse Before 19: Six Years After the Disability Ends

Ala. Code § 6-2-8(b) sets the rule. As proposed in the House Judiciary Committee substitute of 2019 Senate Bill 11, the subsection reads: “If anyone entitled to commence any of the actions enumerated in this chapter is, at the time the right accrues, below the age of 19 years, or insane, and the injury upon which the action is based arises from a sex offense as described in Section 15-20A-5, he or she shall have six years after the termination of the disability to commence the action.”

The Legislature’s own synopsis of a 2026 bill describes the rule in force this way: “Under existing law, a civil action based on a sex offense committed against an individual under 19 years of age must be brought within six years of that individual’s 19th birthday, or the action is time-barred.” Where minority ends at 19, that is the 25th birthday. Bills introduced in 2025 and 2026 proposed longer periods; the six-year rule described here is the one the 2026 synopsis calls existing law.

Alabama courts have not supplied a discovery rule. CHILD USA cites Travis v. Ziter, 681 So. 2d 1348 (Ala. 1996), for the holding that Alabama applies no judicial discovery rule to child sexual abuse claims unless the Legislature prescribes one. A survivor who connected an injury to the abuse years later does not get a new period from that discovery.

Assaults on Adults: Plan Around Two Years

Two Code sections can bear on an adult’s claim. The Legislature’s 2019 bill synopsis states the general rule this way: “Under existing law, a civil action for an injury to a person that does not arise from a contract, which includes a sex offense, must be brought within two years.” That is § 6-2-38(l), which the Supreme Court of Alabama quoted in Freeman v. Holyfield, 179 So. 3d 101 (Ala. 2015): “All actions for any injury to the person or rights of another not arising from contract and not specifically enumerated in this section must be brought within two years.”

The same decision quoted § 6-2-34(1), which sets six years for “any trespass to person or liberty, such as false imprisonment,” and applied it to a false imprisonment claim. Whether a particular count in a sexual assault case can be brought under the six-year section is a question for an Alabama lawyer. Until a lawyer has answered it, the two-year date is the one to plan around, and a claim against a business or employer for negligence sits under the two-year rule.

The 2024 Revival Covers One Bankruptcy and Ends December 31, 2026

Senate Bill 18 of the 2024 Regular Session, enacted April 4, 2024, allows an action for injury to be commenced “at any time,” notwithstanding the limitation periods, only when all of the following are true, as CHILD USA summarizes the enrolled text:

  1. The injury arises from a sex offense described in Ala. Code § 15-20A-5.
  2. The action is barred by the expiration of the limitation period in § 6-2-8.
  3. The action is for the purpose of making a claim in a bankruptcy proceeding initiated on February 18, 2020.
  4. The claim is against the bankruptcy estate of a congressionally chartered organization.

The claimant must have been under 19 when the right accrued, and § 1(b) limits the action to the entity seeking bankruptcy protection, “and not against any other person or entity.” The bill applies retroactively and, under § 1(d), repeals itself on December 31, 2026. CHILD USA identifies the organization as the Boy Scouts of America. For any other defendant, Alabama has no revival window.

Suing a Church, School, Employer, or Alabama Public Body

Whether an organization is responsible for abuse by an employee, volunteer, or member depends on Alabama negligence law and on what the organization knew and did. The six-year rule in § 6-2-8(b) is written around the injury arising from a sex offense, not around a particular defendant, so the date of the survivor’s 25th birthday is the first date to check for an organization as well. Claims against a city, county, school board, or the state can involve separate notice rules and immunity defenses, which a lawyer should raise first when a public body is involved.

Criminal Deadlines Under § 15-3-5

Prosecution is the state’s decision. CHILD USA, reading Ala. Code § 15-3-5 as effective September 1, 2019, reports that there is no limitation for:

  • any capital offense;
  • any felony involving the use, attempted use, or threat of violence to a person;
  • any felony involving serious physical injury or death;
  • “any sex offense under § 15-20A-5 involving a victim under 16 years of age, regardless of whether it involves force, serious physical injury or death.”

Other felonies carry five years under § 15-3-1 and misdemeanors twelve months under § 15-3-2. A sex offense against a 16- or 17-year-old falls outside the under-16 rule and is subject to the five-year period unless it qualifies as a felony involving violence or serious physical injury. The civil deadline runs whether or not anyone is charged.

Dates and Documents to Bring to an Alabama Lawyer

Because the civil period for childhood abuse can end at 25, bring your date of birth, the dates of the abuse or assault, and the names of the people and organizations involved. The conversation should settle:

  1. On what date do the six years under § 6-2-8(b) end, and does the offense fall within § 15-20A-5?
  2. Is there any argument that the period was suspended for another reason?
  3. Was the abuser connected to the Boy Scouts of America, and does a claim qualify under Senate Bill 18 before December 31, 2026?
  4. Is any defendant a city, county, school board, or state agency, and what notice or immunity rules apply?
  5. Does the firm represent any likely defendant or insurer in other matters?
  6. What share of any recovery goes to fees, and which expenses come out of the survivor’s portion?
  7. How will your identity appear in the court filings?

Top 5 Sexual Assault Attorneys in Alabama

1. Morris, King & Hodge, P.C.

Morris, King & Hodge has over 50 years of experience representing injury victims across Alabama. The firm specifically handles sexual assault civil claims and offers both male and female attorneys so survivors can choose who they feel most comfortable working with. The firm builds civil cases against perpetrators and the institutions that failed to protect survivors, pursuing the maximum compensation possible for medical bills, counseling costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Free, confidential consultations are available.

2. Pittman, Dutton, Hellums, Bradley & Mann

Pittman Dutton is a Birmingham-based plaintiff firm with a dedicated sexual assault and abuse practice. The firm’s attorneys – W. Lee Pittman, Tom Dutton, Chris Hellums, Mike Bradley, Jonathan Mann, Austin Whitten, Peyton Clark, and James Davis – handle civil cases involving sexual assault in schools, places of worship, workplaces, and rideshare situations such as Uber and Lyft. The firm secures evidence, identifies all responsible parties including institutions, and takes cases to trial when necessary. Pittman Dutton notes that sexual assault can cost survivors more than $200,000 in lifetime medical expenses, lost productivity, and criminal justice costs – losses that should be borne by those responsible, not the survivor. Consultations are free and completely confidential.

3. Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC

Heninger Garrison Davis has amassed over $3 billion in recoveries for clients throughout the United States. The firm maintains a dedicated sexual abuse and misconduct practice in Birmingham, handling claims involving institutional defendants such as schools, churches, employers, and healthcare facilities. HGD holds a 4.9-star rating from nearly 900 Google reviews. The firm employs best-in-class technology to streamline case management and communication, and was recognized by the Birmingham Business Journal as one of the Best Places to Work. HGD also closely monitors Alabama’s evolving SOL legislation, including Senate Bill 21, and advises survivors on how changing laws may affect their cases.

4. Mezrano Law Firm

Mezrano Law Firm is a statewide Alabama personal injury firm with offices in multiple cities. The firm’s sexual abuse attorneys pursue justice for clients injured because of sexual violence, and note that a civil lawsuit can be brought regardless of the outcome of any criminal case. Mezrano offers free, confidential case evaluations and is available 24/7. The firm’s broader practice includes nursing home abuse and premises liability, areas relevant when institutional negligence contributed to a sexual assault.

5. The Reeves Law Firm

Attorney Gregory A. Reeves has been a trial lawyer for more than 30 years and is a former City Council President for the City of Decatur. He holds an AVVO rating of 10 and an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Reeves has served as adjunct faculty at the Alabama School of Law and has taught trial skills to other lawyers as faculty of the Gerry Spence Trial Lawyer’s College in Dubois, Wyoming. The firm specifically handles sexual assault injury cases including abuse by coaches, clergy, and rideshare drivers such as Uber and Lyft. Reeves has presented at the National Child Abuse Conference on civil remedies for abuse victims. The firm serves clients throughout north Alabama including Morgan, Cullman, and Jackson counties.

Frequently Asked Questions

I was abused at 15. How long do I have to sue in Alabama?

Under § 6-2-8(b), six years after the disability of minority ends, which the Legislature’s 2026 bill synopsis puts at six years after the 19th birthday. Where minority ends at 19, that is the 25th birthday.

I was abused as a teenager and only recently understood how it affected me. Does that restart the deadline?

Not under the Alabama decision CHILD USA cites. Travis v. Ziter (1996) held that Alabama applies no judicial discovery rule to child sexual abuse claims unless the Legislature creates one, so the period runs from the end of minority rather than from discovery.

Was there a lookback window in Alabama?

Only a narrow one. Senate Bill 18 (2024) revives claims against the bankruptcy estate of one congressionally chartered organization, in a bankruptcy filed February 18, 2020, and it repeals itself on December 31, 2026. It does not reach any other defendant.

Can the abuser still be prosecuted for abuse that happened when I was 14?

Yes. Section 15-3-5 removes the time limit for a sex offense under § 15-20A-5 involving a victim under 16.

Can I bring a civil case if no one was charged?

Yes. The civil period runs independently of any prosecution.

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