Sexual Assault Attorneys in California: Your Complete Legal Guide

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Two California filing windows are open in October 2026, and both have fixed end dates. Code of Civil Procedure § 340.16(b)(3) revives certain adult sexual assault claims based on conduct from 2009 onward until December 31, 2026, and § 340.16(e) revives certain adult claims tied to an entity’s cover-up from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027. For childhood sexual assault, § 340.1 removes the deadline only where the assault occurred on or after January 1, 2024. Below are those rules in the statutes’ words, the criminal deadlines, questions for a first meeting with a lawyer, and five firms that represent survivors in California.

Call 911 if you are in danger now. The National Sexual Assault Hotline, 1-800-656-4673, can connect callers with local service providers.

Quotations from the Code of Civil Procedure are taken from published statute text reviewed in October 2026. The page describes the law in broad terms and does not evaluate a particular claim.

Adult Survivors: Ten Years, Three Years From Discovery, and a Window Closing December 31, 2026

Section 340.16(a) governs a civil action “for recovery of damages suffered as a result of sexual assault, where the assault occurred on or after the plaintiff’s 18th birthday.” The deadline is the later of:

  1. “Within 10 years from the date of the last act, attempted act, or assault with the intent to commit an act, of sexual assault against the plaintiff.”
  2. “Within three years from the date the plaintiff discovers or reasonably should have discovered that an injury or illness resulted from” the assault.

“Sexual assault” in this section means the crimes in Penal Code §§ 243.4, 261, 264.1, 286, 287, or 289 (or former §§ 262 and 288a), assault with intent to commit them, or an attempt. Under § 340.16(b)(2), no criminal prosecution or conviction is needed, and the section expressly preserves causes of action “against persons or entities other than the alleged person who committed the crime.”

The § 340.16(b)(3) revival, open until December 31, 2026

Section 340.16(b)(3) revives an adult claim “based upon conduct that occurred on or after January 1, 2009,” commenced on or after January 1, 2019, that “would have been barred solely because the applicable statute of limitations has or had expired.” Such claims “may be commenced until December 31, 2026.” The revival does not reach a claim litigated to finality, or settled in writing, before January 1, 2023.

For an adult survivor of an assault between 2009 and the present whose 10-year and 3-year periods have run, this is the last stretch of time this provision offers.

The Cover-Up Window: January 1, 2026 Through December 31, 2027

Section 340.16(e), added by Assembly Bill 250 (2025), revives adult sexual assault claims that would otherwise have been barred before January 1, 2026. A case not already pending on that date “may be commenced between January 1, 2026, and December 31, 2027.” It works on two levels:

  • Claims against an entity are revived when the plaintiff alleges that one or more entities or persons are legally responsible for the assault and that an entity “engaged in a cover up or attempted a cover up of a previous instance or allegations of sexual assault by an alleged perpetrator.”
  • Claims against the perpetrator are revived when the plaintiff alleges that one or more entities or persons, including the perpetrator, are legally responsible for damages arising from the assault.

The statute defines “cover up” as “a concerted effort to hide evidence relating to a sexual assault that incentivizes individuals to remain silent or prevents information relating to a sexual assault from becoming public or being disclosed to the plaintiff,” including nondisclosure or confidentiality agreements. “Entity” excludes public entities, and § 340.16(e)(7)(C) bars revived claims against a public entity. Related claims such as wrongful termination and sexual harassment arising from the same assault are revived too, while claims litigated to finality or settled in writing before January 1, 2026 are not.

Childhood Sexual Assault: No Deadline Only for Assaults on or After January 1, 2024

Section 340.1(a) provides that “there is no time limit for the commencement” of actions for damages from childhood sexual assault: against the person who committed it, against a person or entity that owed the plaintiff a duty of care whose wrongful or negligent act was a legal cause of the assault, and against a person or entity whose intentional act was a legal cause.

Subdivision (p) limits that rule by date: “This section applies to any claim in which the childhood sexual assault occurred on and after January 1, 2024.” For assaults on or before December 31, 2023, a claim “may only be commenced pursuant to the applicable statute of limitations set forth in existing law as it read on December 31, 2023.”

Childhood Sexual Assault Before 2024: Code of Civil Procedure § 340.11

Pre-2024 claims are now governed by a separate section. Section 340.11(a)(1) provides that “in an action for recovery of damages suffered as a result of childhood sexual assault that occurred before January 1, 2024, the time for commencement of the action shall be within 22 years of the date the plaintiff attains the age of majority or within five years of the date the plaintiff discovers or reasonably should have discovered that psychological injury or illness occurring after the age of majority was caused by the sexual assault, whichever period expires later.” With majority at 18, the first branch ends on the 40th birthday.

The rule covers the person who committed the assault and any person or entity whose negligent, wrongful, or intentional act was a legal cause of it. Three further points in the section matter:

  • Organizations after 40 (§ 340.11(c)). A claim against a person or entity other than the abuser “shall not be commenced on or after the plaintiff’s 40th birthday unless the person or entity knew or had reason to know, or was otherwise on notice, of any misconduct that creates a risk of childhood sexual assault” by an employee, volunteer, representative, or agent, or failed to take reasonable steps or safeguards.
  • Images (§ 340.11(a)(2)). Where the assault involved conduct proscribed by Penal Code § 311.1 or § 311.2, the discovery branch is ten years from discovery, after majority, of the existence of the obscene matter.
  • No government claim first (§ 340.11(s)). A claim under the section “is not required to be presented to any government entity prior to the commencement of an action,” and plaintiffs 40 or older must file certificates of merit (§ 340.11(f)).

Other Features of the 2024 § 340.1

  • Treble damages for a cover-up (§ 340.1(b)). A survivor who proves the assault resulted from a cover-up “may recover up to treble damages against a defendant who is found to have covered up the sexual assault of a minor.”
  • Certificates of merit (§ 340.1(e) and (f)). Every plaintiff “40 years of age or older at the time the action is filed” must file certificates of merit executed by the plaintiff’s attorney and by a licensed mental health practitioner.
  • No government claim first (§ 340.1(q)). A claim under § 340.1(a) “is not required to be presented to any government entity prior to the commencement of an action.”

The A.B. 218 revival window, now printed in § 340.11(q), allowed childhood claims barred as of January 1, 2020 to be “commenced within three years of January 1, 2020.” It has closed.

Criminal Deadlines Under the Penal Code

Prosecution is the state’s decision, with deadlines separate from the civil ones. As CHILD USA summarizes the Penal Code:

  • No limit (§ 799(b)): the enumerated felony sex offenses under §§ 261, 262, 264.1, 286, 288 (including substantial sexual conduct under § 288(a)), 288.5, 288a, and 289 may be prosecuted at any time if committed on or after January 1, 2017, or if the earlier limit had not run by that date.
  • Before the victim’s 40th birthday (§ 801.1(a)): felonies under §§ 261, 286, 288, 288.5, 288a, or 289 committed against a victim under 18, for crimes on or after January 1, 2015 or not yet time-barred by then.
  • Ten years (§ 801.1(b)): other felonies described in § 290(c) where neither rule above applies.
  • General periods: six years for offenses punishable by eight years or more (§ 800), three years for other state-prison offenses (§ 801), and one year for lesser offenses (§ 802(a)).
  • One year after a report (§ 803(f)): where the ordinary period has run, a complaint may be filed within one year of a report by a person alleging abuse while under 18, if the crime involved substantial sexual conduct and independent evidence corroborates the allegation.

A civil case under § 340.16 does not depend on any of these. The statute states that a prosecution need not have been brought.

Points to Clarify Before the 2026 and 2027 Windows Close

The answers depend on dates, so bring the date of the assault or abuse, your age at the time, and the date you connected an injury or illness to it. These are the points to resolve:

  1. Is the claim timely under § 340.16(a), or does it depend on the § 340.16(b)(3) revival that ends December 31, 2026?
  2. Is there evidence that an entity hid prior allegations or used nondisclosure agreements, which would bring § 340.16(e) into play through December 31, 2027?
  3. For childhood abuse before 2024, is the claim within the § 340.11 periods, and what is the discovery date?
  4. Is any defendant a public entity, which § 340.16(e) excludes?
  5. If you are 40 or older and the claim is under § 340.1, who will prepare the certificates of merit?
  6. Does the firm represent any likely defendant, school district, diocese, or insurer in other matters?
  7. If the claim depends on a window, what is the plan for filing well before its last day?

Top 5 Sexual Assault Attorneys in California

1. Manly, Stewart & Finaldi

Manly, Stewart & Finaldi is widely regarded as the nation’s leading sexual abuse law firm. The firm has recovered more than $2 billion on behalf of survivors from the nation’s largest school districts, religious institutions, municipalities, sports organizations, and Fortune 500 companies. Notable recoveries include $880 million in the USA Gymnastics/Larry Nassar cases, $852 million against USC over the Dr. George Tyndall abuse, $660 million from the LA Archdiocese, $490 million from the University of Michigan over Dr. Robert Anderson, and $243 million from UCLA over gynecologist James Heaps. Founding partner John C. Manly has been named to California’s Top 100 Attorneys by the Los Angeles Daily Journal and selected for Super Lawyers for multiple consecutive years. Partner Morgan Stewart focuses on civil claims against institutions. Partner Courtney Thom previously served as a Deputy District Attorney for Orange County, where she tried more than 50 criminal sex crimes cases. The firm exclusively handles sexual abuse cases and accepts clients on a no-fee-unless-we-win contingency basis.

2. Taylor & Ring

Taylor & Ring is a Los Angeles plaintiff firm specializing in sexual abuse, rape, and sexual assault civil litigation throughout Southern California and beyond. Attorneys John Taylor and David Ring lead the firm’s sexual abuse and assault practice, which covers adult sexual assault, rape, date rape, sex trafficking, sexual abuse in the entertainment industry, sexual abuse by doctors, sexual abuse in schools (by teachers, coaches, and fellow students), sexual abuse in youth and religious organizations, and relationship sexual abuse. The firm helped secure a combined $102.5 million award for two women sexually assaulted while attending Dartmouth Middle School, and has obtained multiple seven- and eight-figure results for other survivors. The firm offers free consultations and works on a contingency basis.

3. Ribera Law Firm

Ribera Law Firm is a Northern California plaintiff firm led by attorney Sandra Ribera Speed, Esq., who handles sexual assault and abuse civil litigation with a focus on clergy sexual abuse, school sexual abuse, and sexual assault by medical providers. The firm has achieved multiple recent seven-figure settlements for clients, including a $1,875,000 settlement against a physician. Sandra Ribera Speed has also filed suit against the Diocese of Oakland on behalf of an adult survivor of clergy abuse. The firm represents survivors throughout California and offers the option of filing claims anonymously as a “John Doe” or “Jane Doe” to protect privacy. Cases are handled on a contingency basis; free case reviews are available.

4. Cutter Law P.C.

Cutter Law P.C. is a Sacramento sexual abuse litigation firm whose attorneys handle civil claims for survivors of clergy abuse, school abuse, and youth sports abuse across California. The firm’s team includes partner Celine Cutter, who focuses on holding institutions accountable for enabling abuse. The firm helps survivors tell their story, build their case, and pursue compensation through the civil court system. Cases are taken on a contingency basis and free case reviews are available. The firm also maintains a detailed client education practice, with video content and FAQ resources explaining how California sexual abuse lawsuits work.

5. Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger

Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger is a San Francisco plaintiff firm with over 60 years of experience handling personal injury and sexual abuse civil claims throughout California. The firm’s sexual abuse practice covers child sexual abuse, clergy abuse, school and institutional abuse, Boy Scouts of America abuse, rideshare sexual assault (Uber and Lyft), nursing home abuse, and vacation rental sexual assault. Case results in sexual abuse matters include a $2 million settlement and a $3.9 million settlement. Attorneys Michael Kelly, Richard Schoenberger, Matthew Davis, Douglas Saeltzer, Khaldoun Baghdadi, Doris Cheng, Sara Peters, and others handle the firm’s litigation. The firm notes that new California lookback provisions may give survivors outside the original statute of limitations a second opportunity to pursue compensation. Free consultations are available.

Frequently Asked Questions

I was sexually assaulted at work in 2012. Can I still sue in 2026?

Possibly. The 10-year period in § 340.16(a) ran from the last act, but § 340.16(b)(3) revives claims based on conduct on or after January 1, 2009 until December 31, 2026, unless the claim was litigated to finality or settled in writing before January 1, 2023. If the employer hid earlier allegations about the same person, § 340.16(e) may also apply through December 31, 2027.

Does the cover-up window apply to claims against a public school district or a state university?

No. Section 340.16(e) defines “entity” to exclude public entities and does not revive claims against a public entity.

I was abused as a child in 2005. Is there no deadline for me?

No. The no-deadline rule in § 340.1(a) applies only to assaults on or after January 1, 2024. An assault in 2005 is governed by § 340.11: 22 years after you reached majority (the 40th birthday) or five years after you discovered, or reasonably should have discovered, that a psychological injury or illness after majority was caused by the assault, whichever is later. Against an organization rather than the abuser, a claim after 40 requires the notice or failure-to-act showing in § 340.11(c).

Do I need a police report or conviction to file a civil case?

No. Section 340.16(b)(2) states that a criminal prosecution need not have been brought or have resulted in a conviction.

Support and Reporting Lines

  • Emergency: 911
  • National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
  • ValorUS, California’s state sexual assault coalition (office): 916-446-2520
  • California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (office): 916-444-7163

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