Sexual Assault Attorneys in Maryland: Your Complete Legal Guide
Maryland has undergone dramatic reform of its civil sexual abuse laws in recent years. The Child Victims Act of 2023 eliminated the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits involving childhood sexual abuse, opening the door for survivors to seek justice regardless of when the abuse occurred. The Maryland Supreme Court upheld this law as constitutional in February 2025. Concurrent amendments in 2025 reduced the damages caps available for lawsuits filed on or after June 1, 2025. For adult survivors of recent assault, Maryland provides a three-year civil filing window. If you are a Maryland survivor, the legal landscape has changed substantially in your favor – the most important step is consulting an attorney promptly to understand your specific rights.
Understanding Maryland Sexual Assault Laws
Criminal Statutes of Limitations
Maryland imposes no criminal statute of limitations for most sexual offenses. Under Maryland Criminal Law Article sections 3-301 through 3-324, sexual offense charges may be brought at any time regardless of when the assault occurred. This reflects the legislature’s recognition that survivors frequently cannot come forward for years or decades following an assault.
Specific criminal provisions include:
Rape and first-degree sexual offense: No statute of limitations. Prosecution may commence at any time.
Second, third, and fourth-degree sexual offense: No statute of limitations for offenses involving minors. For offenses against adults, the general criminal limitation period may apply depending on the specific charge.
Child sexual abuse: No criminal statute of limitations for any offense involving a victim under 18 at the time of the abuse. This includes all forms of child sexual abuse as defined under Maryland law.
Civil Statutes of Limitations – Child Victims Act of 2023
The Maryland Child Victims Act of 2023 (Md. Code, Courts and Judicial Proceedings Section 5-117) fundamentally restructured the civil SOL for childhood sexual abuse claims. The law took effect October 1, 2023, and was upheld as constitutional by the Maryland Supreme Court in a 4-3 decision on February 3, 2025.
Childhood sexual abuse – no time limit:
Survivors who were abused as minors may now file civil lawsuits at any time, regardless of how long ago the abuse occurred and regardless of whether prior SOL deadlines had passed. The law is retroactive – claims that were previously time-barred are revived.
2025 amendment – damages caps reduced (effective June 1, 2025):
Following an unprecedented wave of filings (over 3,800 lawsuits in April and May 2025 alone), the Maryland General Assembly passed an amendment signed by Governor Moore on April 22, 2025, that reduced non-economic damages caps for CVA cases filed on or after June 1, 2025:
- Claims against private institutions (churches, schools, nonprofits): $700,000 per claimant (reduced from $1.5 million)
- Claims against governmental entities (public schools, state agencies): $400,000 per claimant (reduced from $890,000)
Cases filed before June 1, 2025 remain subject to the original, higher caps. The amendment defines all acts by one abuser against one victim as a single “incident” for damages cap purposes.
Plaintiff must be living at time of filing: The CVA requires that the survivor be alive when the lawsuit is initiated. The right to sue does not transfer to heirs if the survivor dies before filing.
Attorney fee restrictions: HB 1378 (2025) placed new restrictions on attorney fees in CVA cases. Survivors should discuss fee structures with their attorney at the outset.
Adult survivors:
For survivors abused as adults, the civil statute of limitations is three years from the date of the assault (Md. Code, Courts and Judicial Proceedings Section 5-105). The discovery rule may extend this deadline in limited circumstances where the survivor could not reasonably have known the connection between the abuse and their injuries.
Institutional liability:
Maryland law permits survivors to sue institutions – churches, schools, youth organizations, employers, healthcare providers – that knew or should have known of the perpetrator’s conduct and failed to act. The standard is negligent hiring, supervision, or retention. Institutional defendants frequently carry insurance and often represent the most practically recoverable source of compensation.
Maryland Sexual Assault Attorneys
Miller & Zois, LLC
Address: 1 South Street, Suite 2450, Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: (800) 553-8082
Website: https://www.millerandzois.com
Miller & Zois is a Baltimore plaintiff trial firm led by Ronald V. Miller Jr. and Laura G. Zois, both of whom have more than 30 years of experience representing injury victims. Ron Miller previously represented pharmaceutical companies and insurance carriers on the defense side – he now uses that experience exclusively to fight for injury victims. Miller is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a Super Lawyers selectee, and has been named one of the top 40 elite attorneys in Maryland by SmartCEO. He holds a perfect 10.0 Avvo rating and has taught insurance law at the University of Baltimore School of Law for over 20 years. Laura Zois graduated with honors from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1995, has been named a Super Lawyer annually since 2008, is consistently ranked among the Top 50 Women Lawyers and Top 100 Lawyers in Maryland, and received the Trial Lawyer of the Year award in 2022 following a $2 million verdict in a sexual abuse lawsuit against a medical provider.
The firm has recovered over $100 million in verdicts and settlements. Its sexual abuse practice pursues claims against perpetrators and the organizations that enabled them – including churches, medical practices, employers, and youth programs. Miller & Zois actively tracks CVA litigation developments and filed claims against the Archdiocese of Baltimore and other institutions under the new law. The firm provides free, confidential consultations and works exclusively on a contingency fee basis.
Plaxen Adler Muncy, P.A.
Address: 10211 Wincopin Circle, Suite 620, Columbia, MD 21044 (primary office; nine offices statewide)
Phone: (410) 730-7737
Website: https://www.plaxenadler.com
Plaxen Adler Muncy is one of Maryland’s most established plaintiff personal injury firms, founded in 1985 and practicing exclusively in injury law for more than 40 years. The firm has nine office locations throughout Maryland including Columbia, Baltimore, Dundalk, Frederick, Gambrills, Owings Mills, Seabrook, Silver Spring, and Westminster, and has received the AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell – the highest peer rating available. All attorneys at Plaxen Adler Muncy have completed trauma-informed training for representing sexual assault and abuse survivors.
Founding senior partner Bruce Plaxen is recognized as a leader in the plaintiffs’ bar in Maryland and nationally. Partner David A. Muncy graduated magna cum laude from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 2012 and became a partner in 2017; he is a member of the Maryland Association for Justice and focused on sexual assault and abuse civil claims alongside the firm’s broader personal injury practice. The firm represents victims of sexual assault and abuse, identifies all potentially liable organizations and businesses that employed or enabled perpetrators, and handles cases on a contingency basis with no fee unless compensation is recovered. Available 24/7. Free consultations.
Levy Konigsberg LLP (Maryland Practice)
Address: National firm; primary office 605 Third Avenue, 33rd Floor, New York, NY
Phone: 800-315-3806
Website: https://www.levylaw.com/maryland-sexual-abuse-claims/
Levy Konigsberg is a nationally recognized trial firm that has recovered over $3 billion in sexual abuse compensation for survivors. In Maryland, the firm has represented survivors of abuse by Catholic clergy in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, survivors of physician sexual abuse at Maryland hospitals and medical systems, and hundreds of survivors abused in Maryland’s juvenile detention system – filing over 800 juvenile detention abuse lawsuits before the June 1, 2025 damages cap reduction took effect. Levy Konigsberg has been at the forefront of CVA litigation and has extensive experience evaluating whether previously time-barred claims are revivable under the act’s retroactive provisions.
The firm handles complex institutional abuse cases against powerful defendants including prisons, schools, clergy organizations, and government agencies. Cases are handled on a contingency basis with no cost to hire and no fee unless compensation is recovered. Free, confidential consultations are available.
Andreozzi + Foote
Address: National firm with Maryland practice; see website for regional offices
Phone: 866-311-8640
Website: https://www.victimscivilattorneys.com/maryland/
Andreozzi + Foote is one of the few legal teams nationally that takes sexual abuse cases to trial rather than settling exclusively. The firm represents Maryland survivors with a tailored legal strategy for each case, pursues both direct claims against perpetrators and institutional negligence claims, and connects survivors with trusted therapists and other support resources during the litigation process. The firm handles cases on a contingency fee basis and offers free, confidential consultations.
Key Considerations for Maryland Survivors
The CVA is retroactive – even old claims may now be viable. If you were abused as a child and previously believed your claim was time-barred, the Child Victims Act of 2023 revived those claims. The Maryland Supreme Court confirmed the law’s constitutionality in February 2025. An attorney can evaluate whether your specific claim qualifies.
Filing date affects damages. Cases filed before June 1, 2025 remain subject to the higher original caps ($1.5 million for private institutions, $890,000 for government). Cases filed on or after June 1, 2025 are subject to lower caps ($700,000 for private, $400,000 for government). The filing date is the controlling factor, not the date of abuse.
Court backlog in Baltimore City. Following the surge of pre-June 1 filings, Baltimore City Circuit Court issued a temporary stay on CVA cases in June 2025. The stay was lifted in October 2025 and cases resumed. New filings now proceed in the normal course of litigation, though caseload remains high.
Adult survivors have three years. The adult civil SOL is shorter than in many states. If you were abused as an adult, time begins running from the date of assault. Consulting an attorney promptly is critical.
Institutional defendants are often key. The Archdiocese of Baltimore filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2023 in response to CVA litigation. Survivors with clergy abuse claims may have claims in both bankruptcy court (Archdiocese of Baltimore) and in civil court against other institutions. An attorney experienced in CVA litigation can assess the best path forward.
Survivors must be living to file. The CVA requires the survivor to be alive at the time of filing. The right to sue does not transfer to an estate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still file a lawsuit if I was abused as a child decades ago?
Yes. The Maryland Child Victims Act of 2023 eliminated the civil statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse entirely and the law is retroactive. Even if your claim was previously time-barred, you may now file. The Maryland Supreme Court upheld the law’s constitutionality in February 2025.
Does it matter whether my abuser was criminally convicted?
No. Civil and criminal cases are separate. The civil standard of proof – more probable than not – is lower than the criminal beyond-a-reasonable-doubt standard. Many Maryland survivors have obtained civil compensation where no criminal prosecution occurred or where the perpetrator was acquitted.
Can I sue the institution, not just the individual?
Yes. Maryland law allows survivors to sue churches, schools, youth organizations, employers, and other institutions whose negligence enabled the abuse. Institutional defendants with insurance coverage are often the most practically valuable defendants.
What damages can I recover?
Survivors may recover economic damages including medical and therapy costs and lost wages, and non-economic damages for pain, suffering, and emotional distress. Non-economic damages against private institutions are capped at $700,000 per claimant for cases filed after June 1, 2025. Cases filed before that date are subject to the higher cap of $1.5 million.
What should I do first?
Seek medical attention if needed. Contact a sexual assault attorney as soon as possible. Even if you believe your claim expired years ago, the CVA may have revived it. The Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA) can also provide support resources at any stage.