Sexual Assault Attorneys in Arizona: Your Complete Legal Guide

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Arizona’s civil deadline for childhood sexual abuse is fixed by statute at 12 years after the survivor turns 18, which is the 30th birthday, and it applies to claims against the abuser and against anyone whose negligent or intentional act was a cause of the abuse. An adult survivor has two years. Claims against a public school or other public entity carry a 180-day claim requirement and a one-year filing deadline. Below are those statutes, the criminal deadlines, questions for a first meeting with a lawyer, and five firms that represent survivors in Arizona.

For an emergency, call 911. Arizona’s sexual and domestic violence helpline, 1-800-782-6400, keeps weekday hours, and the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 is another option.

Statutory quotations come from the Arizona Legislature’s official text as viewed in October 2026. Nothing here evaluates an individual case.

Childhood Abuse: Twelve Years After Age 18, Against the Abuser and Others

A.R.S. § 12-514(A) provides that, “Notwithstanding sections 12-505, 12-511 and 12-542, an action for the recovery of damages that is based on either of the following shall be commenced within twelve years after the plaintiff reaches eighteen years of age and not afterward”:

  1. “An injury that a minor suffers as a result of another person’s negligent or intentional act if that act is a cause of sexual conduct or sexual contact committed against the minor.”
  2. “The failure to report pursuant to section 13-3620 sexual conduct or sexual contact committed against a minor.”

Two features of the text matter to survivors. The first paragraph covers anyone whose negligent or intentional act was a cause of the abuse, not only the abuser, and § 12-514(B) defines “person” to include “an individual, the United States, this state or a public or private corporation, local government unit, public agency,” and other entities. The second paragraph creates a claim for failing to make a report that Arizona’s child abuse reporting law, § 13-3620, required.

The section contains no discovery rule: the period runs from the 18th birthday regardless of when the survivor connected the abuse to an injury.

Section 12-514 took effect May 27, 2019. A claim that had already expired under the law in force before that date depended on the revival window described below, which has closed; whether § 12-514 reaches an older claim depends on applicability conditions in the 2019 session law, which a lawyer should read against the dates of the abuse.

The 2019 to 2020 revival window is closed

The 2019 law that created § 12-514, Laws 2019, chapter 259, also revived certain expired claims. CHILD USA reports that section 3(B) of that session law allowed revived claims to be commenced “before December 31, 2020,” and that the revival appears only in the session law, not in the codified statute. That window has closed.

Adult Survivors: Two Years Under § 12-542

For an assault on an adult, A.R.S. § 12-542 requires that actions “For injuries done to the person of another” be “commenced and prosecuted within two years after the cause of action accrues, and not afterward.” The text speaks of “injuries done to the person of another” without separating claims against the assailant from negligence claims against a property owner, employer, or other business.

Public Schools and Other Public Entities: 180 Days for the Claim, One Year to Sue

Arizona adds two requirements when the defendant is a public entity, public school, or public employee.

  • The notice of claim (§ 12-821.01(A)). A claimant “shall file claims with the person or persons authorized to accept service for the public entity, public school or public employee … within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues.” The claim must state the facts and “a specific amount for which the claim can be settled and the facts supporting that amount.” A claim not filed within 180 days “is barred and no action may be maintained thereon.”
  • The lawsuit (§ 12-821). “All actions against any public entity or public employee shall be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues and not afterward.”

Two subsections bear on survivors. Under § 12-821.01(B), a cause of action accrues “when the damaged party realizes he or she has been damaged and knows or reasonably should know the cause, source, act, event, instrumentality or condition that caused or contributed to the damage.” Under § 12-821.01(D), “a minor or an insane or incompetent person may file a claim within one hundred eighty days after the disability ceases.” Section 12-514 names §§ 12-505, 12-511, and 12-542 as the provisions it overrides and does not name §§ 12-821 or 12-821.01, so how the public-entity deadlines combine with the 12-year childhood period is a point to resolve at the outset of any case against a public school.

Criminal Deadlines Under § 13-107

Prosecution is the state’s decision and runs on separate deadlines. CHILD USA, reading the official text of A.R.S. § 13-107, reports:

  • No limit (§ 13-107(A)): any offense in chapter 14 (sexual offenses) or chapter 35.1 (sexual exploitation of children) of title 13 that is a class 2 felony, and any violent sexual assault under § 13-1423.
  • Seven years (§ 13-107(B)(1)): class 2 through class 6 felonies outside subsection (A). One year for misdemeanors and six months for petty offenses (§ 13-107(B)(2) and (3)). These periods run from the state’s actual discovery of the offense or the discovery that should have occurred with reasonable diligence, whichever comes first.
  • Unknown identity (§ 13-107(E)): for a serious offense as defined in § 13-706, the period does not run while the identity of the person who committed it is unknown.

A sexual offense against a child charged below class 2 falls under the seven-year period. The civil deadlines above do not depend on any criminal case.

What an Arizona Lawyer Needs to Pin Down Each Deadline

Bring your date of birth, the dates of the abuse or assault, and the names of the people and organizations involved, including any public school or agency. With those facts, a lawyer can answer:

  1. What is the last filing day under § 12-514, and does it reach every defendant?
  2. Did anyone with a duty to report under § 13-3620 fail to report, supporting a separate claim?
  3. For an adult assault, when did the two-year period under § 12-542 begin?
  4. Is any defendant a public entity, school, or employee, and when is the § 12-821.01 notice of claim due?
  5. What settlement figure will the notice of claim state, and how is it supported?
  6. Does the firm represent any likely defendant or insurer in other matters?
  7. Is the fee a fixed percentage or does it change if the case goes to trial?

Top 5 Sexual Assault Attorneys in Arizona

1. Knapp & Roberts

Knapp & Roberts is a Phoenix-area plaintiff firm whose attorneys handle sexual assault and rape civil claims throughout Arizona. The firm assembles expert teams to prove cases, and has used computer-generated animation and charts to explain assault mechanics to juries. Attorneys Craig Knapp, Dana Roberts, David Friedman, Suzanne Ogden (R.N., J.D.), and Elizabeth Knapp bring combined experience across personal injury, medical malpractice, and sexual assault litigation. The firm offers free initial consultations and takes cases on a no-fee-unless-we-win basis.

2. Montoya, Lucero & Pastor, P.A.

Montoya, Lucero & Pastor is a Phoenix firm with a dedicated sexual abuse practice covering clergy abuse, foster care abuse, group home abuse, youth sports abuse, school and daycare abuse, and Department of Child Safety failures. Attorneys Stephen Montoya, Robert Pastor, and Tiffani Lucero bring more than 60 years of combined experience. The firm has represented survivors of abuse by Catholic priests, religious workers, foster parents, teachers, and coaches. The firm operates on a contingency fee basis – no fees unless compensation is recovered – and offers weekend appointments by request.

3. Phillips Law Group

Phillips Law Group is a large Phoenix plaintiff firm handling both child sexual abuse and adult sexual assault civil claims. Practice areas specific to sexual abuse include clergy abuse, abuse in foster and residential care facilities, abuse by doctors in medical settings, abuse by school teachers and coaches, abuse in youth sports, rideshare sexual assault (Uber and Lyft), and workplace sexual harassment. The firm takes cases on a no-fee-unless-we-win basis and offers free consultations. Phillips Law Group serves clients statewide from its Phoenix office.

4. Sargon Law Group

Sargon Law Group is a Phoenix-area personal injury firm whose attorneys handle sexual assault civil claims and rideshare sexual assault cases. The firm takes all cases through trial if necessary, and notes that insurance companies are aware the firm is always trial-ready. Attorneys include Sargon Khananisho, Michael Morgan, Trevor Farrage, Oliver Lemke, Vanessa Mouchi, and Joanna Frankel. The firm is available 24/7 and offers free consultations.

5. Mercaldo Law Firm

Mercaldo Law Firm handles sexual abuse cases in Arizona (Phoenix and Tucson) and San Diego. The attorneys bring more than 40 years of trial experience and a track record of jury verdicts for clients. The firm confers with medical experts and mental health professionals to document the full scope of harm. Mercaldo prepares thoroughly and pursues institutions as well as individual perpetrators. Evening appointments are available on request, and initial consultations are free of charge.

Frequently Asked Questions

I was abused at 10 and I am now 29. Can I still sue?

Possibly. Section 12-514(A) allows 12 years after age 18 and “not afterward,” which ends at your 30th birthday, and it contains no discovery rule that would extend the date. If your claim had already expired under the law in force before May 27, 2019, the revival window for such claims closed on December 31, 2020, so a lawyer should confirm whether § 12-514 reaches it.

Can I sue the youth organization that employed my abuser?

Section 12-514(A)(1) covers an injury caused by “another person’s negligent or intentional act if that act is a cause of” the abuse, and its definition of “person” includes corporations, associations, and other legal entities. Whether the organization’s conduct meets that standard depends on what it knew and did.

The abuse happened at a public school. Does the 12-year period cover it?

Section 12-514 defines “person” to include public bodies, but the public-entity statutes add a 180-day notice of claim (§ 12-821.01) and a one-year filing period (§ 12-821), with a 180-day period after the disability ceases for minors. How those rules apply to a particular childhood claim needs to be settled early.

Can a civil case proceed without a criminal conviction?

Yes. None of the civil deadlines in §§ 12-514, 12-542, or 12-821 depends on a criminal case.

Support and Reporting Lines

  • Emergency: 911
  • National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
  • Arizona Sexual and Domestic Violence Helpline (Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence; weekday hours, Tuesday evenings): 1-800-782-6400

Sources