Sexual Assault Attorneys in Massachusetts: Your Complete Legal Guide
Massachusetts significantly expanded the rights of child sexual abuse survivors in 2014 and 2015 through legislation that extended the civil statute of limitations to 35 years past a survivor’s 18th birthday – effectively until age 53. A separate seven-year discovery rule allows survivors older than 53 to still file if they only recently connected their abuse to the psychological and emotional harm it caused. For adult survivors, the standard three-year civil SOL applies. Massachusetts has no criminal statute of limitations for sexual offenses, meaning prosecution can occur at any time regardless of when the assault took place. If you are a Massachusetts survivor, the law has created significant pathways to justice that did not exist under prior law – speaking with an attorney is the first step to understanding what those pathways are in your specific situation.
Understanding Massachusetts Sexual Assault Laws
Criminal Statutes of Limitations
Massachusetts imposes no criminal statute of limitations for sexual offenses. Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 277, Section 63, charges for rape, indecent assault and battery, and related sexual offenses may be brought at any time after the commission of the crime. This applies to offenses against both minors and adults.
Key criminal statutes include:
Rape (MGL ch. 265, Section 22): No criminal statute of limitations. Prosecution may commence at any time.
Aggravated rape (MGL ch. 265, Section 22A-C): No criminal statute of limitations.
Indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 (MGL ch. 265, Section 13B): No criminal statute of limitations.
Indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 (MGL ch. 265, Section 13H): No criminal statute of limitations.
Rape and abuse of a child (MGL ch. 265, Section 23): No criminal statute of limitations.
Civil Statutes of Limitations
Childhood sexual abuse – extended SOL (MGL ch. 260, Section 4C):
The 2014 and 2015 legislation reformed Massachusetts’ civil SOL for childhood sexual abuse significantly. Under current law, survivors who were abused as minors have 35 years from the date they turn 18 to file civil claims against their abusers – until age 53. The legislature recognized that survivors frequently require years or decades to process the trauma before being able to come forward.
In addition to the primary 35-year window, the law includes a discovery rule: survivors of childhood sexual abuse may file within 7 years of the date they discovered – or reasonably should have discovered – that they suffered an emotional or psychological injury caused by the abuse. This discovery provision is critical for survivors older than 53 who may still have viable claims if they only recently made the connection between the abuse and its lasting effects.
The time limit is tolled (paused) during childhood and does not begin running until the survivor reaches age 18.
Institutional negligence claims (MGL ch. 260, Section 4C-1/2):
A companion statute governs claims against institutions and entities other than the direct abuser – schools, churches, employers, youth organizations, healthcare providers – whose negligent supervision or conduct caused or contributed to the abuse. The same SOL applies: 35 years from age 18 or 7 years from discovery of damages, whichever is later. For institutional claims involving abuse that first occurred after the statute’s effective date in June 2014, the full 35-year window applies. Survivors are encouraged to consult an attorney regarding which provision governs their specific claim.
Retroactivity: Massachusetts courts, including the Supreme Judicial Court in Sliney v. Previte (2015), have upheld the retroactive application of the expanded SOL, meaning survivors whose previous claims had lapsed may still have viable paths to recovery depending on when the discovery clock started.
Adult survivors:
Survivors assaulted as adults are governed by the general three-year personal injury SOL under MGL ch. 260, Section 2A. The three-year period begins on the date of the last act of abuse or assault. No extended window or special tolling provisions apply to adult sexual assault victims, although the discovery rule may apply in limited circumstances where the connection between the assault and its harm was not reasonably discoverable.
Defendants outside Massachusetts:
Under MGL ch. 260, Section 9, time a defendant spends outside of Massachusetts does not count toward the statute of limitations. This can extend a filing deadline where a perpetrator relocated after the abuse.
Massachusetts Sexual Assault Attorneys
Lubin & Meyer PC
Address: 28 State Street, 40th Floor, Boston, MA 02109
Phone: (617) 720-4447 / (800) 866-2889
Website: https://www.lubinandmeyer.com
Lubin & Meyer is recognized as New England’s premier medical malpractice and personal injury law firm and has handled significant sexual abuse and assault civil litigation for decades. The firm is led by founding partner Andrew C. Meyer Jr. (Suffolk Law 1974), who has been named one of Boston Magazine’s 150 Most Influential Bostonians, inducted into the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Hall of Fame, selected to Best Lawyers in America for 30 consecutive years, and listed in Super Lawyers annually since 2004. Meyer was named Boston’s Medical Malpractice Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in 2011. He holds the highest rating from Martindale-Hubbell for both legal ability and ethical standards and has secured one of the largest personal injury awards in Massachusetts history – $30 million including interest in a birth injury case.
In sexual abuse litigation, Lubin & Meyer currently represents over 180 clients in a class-action lawsuit against a former Boston rheumatologist accused of conducting medically unnecessary sexual examinations on patients. Lead attorney William Thompson leads this action alongside the supervisors and institutions that allegedly enabled the abuse. Partner Adam Satin has generated nearly $300 million in gross verdicts and settlements for clients, was named Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Lawyer of the Year, and was selected for Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers annually. The firm has obtained the largest verdicts and settlements list in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly for 16 consecutive years.
Lubin & Meyer represents survivors statewide in Massachusetts and also in New Hampshire and Rhode Island, and handles cases on a contingency fee basis. Free case evaluation with no obligation.
Brody, Hardoon, Perkins & Kesten, LLP (BHPK Law)
Address: Boston, MA (contact for address; phone below)
Phone: (617) 880-7100
Website: https://www.bhpklaw.com
BHPK Law is one of Boston’s leading litigation firms with deep expertise in child sexual abuse and sexual assault civil litigation. The firm is led by founding partner Laurence E. Hardoon, who over the past 40 years has represented hundreds of survivors who were victimized by priests, teachers, counselors, child-care workers, doctors, employers, and family members. Hardoon pioneered the legal actions brought against the Catholic Church arising from the Boston clergy abuse scandal and is considered one of the most influential plaintiff attorneys in the Commonwealth. Before founding BHPK, he served for 14 years as an Assistant District Attorney and Senior Prosecutor in the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office, where he founded and directed the District Attorney’s Child Abuse Prosecution Unit – a program that became a nationally recognized model. He also helped establish the first Children’s Advocacy Center in Middlesex County.
Partner Michael V. Glennon is a former Chief of the Juvenile Unit at the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, where he spent over a decade handling sexual assault, human trafficking, child pornography, and gang crime investigations. He now practices civil sexual assault and sex trafficking litigation at BHPK and is an adjunct faculty member at Suffolk University Law School.
The BHPK sexual abuse team – including attorneys Nina M. Bonelli, Erica L. Brody, Richard E. Brody, Glennon, and Hardoon – has brought precedent-setting cases against the Archdiocese, child care centers, hospitals, day care facilities, private schools, teachers, doctors, foster parents, and therapists. Multiple team members are former sex crimes prosecutors who understand the re-traumatization that comes with disclosure and work closely with survivors’ therapists throughout the litigation process. Rick Brody, Larry Hardoon, and Erica Brody are recognized annually as Super Lawyers. Free confidential consultations. Contingency fee basis.
Levy Konigsberg LLP (Massachusetts Practice)
Address: National firm; primary office 605 Third Avenue, 33rd Floor, New York, NY
Phone: 800-315-3806
Website: https://www.levylaw.com/massachusetts-sexual-abuse/
Levy Konigsberg is a national trial firm that has recovered over $3 billion in compensation for sexual abuse survivors. The firm actively represents Massachusetts survivors of institutional sexual abuse including clergy abuse, abuse in schools and youth programs, physician abuse at hospitals and medical systems, and abuse in juvenile detention facilities. The firm’s Massachusetts practice covers all types of institutional negligence claims and evaluates both fresh claims and claims that may be revivable under the discovery provisions of MGL ch. 260, Section 4C. Cases are handled on contingency with no cost to hire and no fee unless compensation is recovered. Free confidential consultations.
Altman & Altman, LLP
Address: Boston and Cambridge, MA
Phone: (800) 481-6199
Website: https://www.altmanllp.com
Altman & Altman is a Boston and Cambridge civil litigation firm that has represented thousands of individuals in sexual assault and abuse civil claims, recovering millions in settlements and jury awards. The firm handles both direct claims against perpetrators and third-party negligence claims against employers, property owners, and institutions. Altman & Altman has access to medical and psychological expert professionals throughout the Commonwealth and provides support to clients throughout the legal process. Available 24/7. Free consultation. Contingency fee basis.
Key Considerations for Massachusetts Survivors
You may have until age 53 to file. Under MGL ch. 260, Section 4C, childhood sexual abuse survivors have 35 years from their 18th birthday. For survivors who turned 18 after the 2014 law took effect, this window extends to age 53. This is one of the longer civil windows among U.S. states.
Over 53 does not mean your claim is gone. The discovery rule allows survivors of any age to file within 7 years of discovering that the abuse caused emotional or psychological harm. If you are older than 53 but only recently linked the abuse to conditions like depression, PTSD, or addiction, your claim may still be viable. This determination is highly fact-specific and requires consultation with an attorney.
Institutions can be sued for negligent supervision. Section 4C-1/2 applies the same extended SOL to claims against schools, churches, employers, youth organizations, and healthcare providers whose negligent supervision contributed to the abuse. These institutional claims often represent the most recoverable source of compensation.
Adult survivors have three years. The adult civil SOL is considerably shorter. If you were assaulted as an adult, time begins running from the date of the last act of abuse. Contact an attorney promptly.
Criminal conviction is not required for civil recovery. The civil standard of proof – more probable than not – is lower than the criminal beyond-a-reasonable-doubt standard. Many Massachusetts survivors have obtained civil compensation in cases where no criminal prosecution occurred or where the perpetrator was acquitted.
Victim Rights Law Center. For survivors with civil legal needs beyond lawsuit representation – including housing, employment, privacy, and school-related issues – the Victim Rights Law Center (victimrights.org) provides free comprehensive civil legal services to sexual assault survivors in Massachusetts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Massachusetts’ civil statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse?
Survivors have 35 years from the date they turn 18 – until age 53 – to file. Additionally, a seven-year discovery rule allows survivors who discover the connection between the abuse and their psychological harm after age 53 to still file within seven years of that discovery.
Can I still file if I am older than 53?
Potentially yes, under the discovery rule. If you only recently discovered that your emotional or psychological injuries were caused by the abuse, you may have up to seven years from that discovery to file. This is fact-specific and requires attorney evaluation.
Can I sue my employer, school, or church?
Yes. Massachusetts law (MGL ch. 260, Section 4C-1/2) allows survivors to sue institutions whose negligent supervision or conduct contributed to the abuse. The same extended SOL applies to these claims.
Does it matter whether my abuser was criminally prosecuted?
No. Civil and criminal cases are entirely separate. You may pursue civil recovery even if no criminal charges were filed, the case was not prosecuted, or the defendant was acquitted.
What should I do first?
Contact a sexual assault attorney for a confidential consultation. Even if you believe your claim may have expired, the discovery rule may provide additional time. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health also provides a list of sexual assault services by county at mass.gov for survivors seeking support resources at any stage.