Church abuse lawyers
You may have lived with trauma, fear and shame if you were abused by the church as a child. Our compassionate, trauma-informed church abuse lawyers can be trusted with your claim. With support from our mental health team, we can help you access justice and right wrong, No Win No Fee*.
Abused by the church
You may never have told anyone of your church abuse, religious abuse or Catholic church abuse or known if you're eligible to make a civil historical abuse claim. Shine Lawyers can help. Making a historical abuse claim won’t erase what happened to you, but it may be an opportunity:
To hold the religious institution to account
For acknowledgement of what happened to you
For an apology
Compensation for church abuse may help with the impact it’s had on your life.
Why choose Shine’s church abuse lawyers?
Compassionate church abuse lawyers
Shine Lawyers has one of Australia’s largest dedicated Abuse Law teams. We have decades of experience in helping thousands of abuse survivors seek justice. Our church abuse lawyers passionately advocate for our clients and are driven to stand up to powerful religious institutions to secure successful outcomes.
No Win No Fee* lawyers
Our dedicated church abuse lawyers can provide expert legal advice, tailored to your situation, on a No Win No Fee* basis. We’ll work with you to build your church abuse claim and explain each step of the legal process.
*Conditions apply
Trauma-informed support
We recognise your courage in speaking up. Wherever possible, we’ll work with you to minimise the stress and inconvenience of the legal process.
Our church abuse lawyers are trained to work in a trauma-informed way. Our mental health support team can help reduce the trauma of the legal process for both our lawyers and clients. We’ll be with you every step of the way.
Review your claim with our simple and free online tool.
What we will ask:
Questions to help us understand your experience and how your life has been impacted. Your responses will help us define the best course of action for your claim.
What happens next:
Book a confidential, obligation-free appointment with an expert church abuse lawyer, or
Speak with our team about your church abuse claim options
Where church abuse can occur
Talking about abuse that happened many years ago can be overwhelming. You may not have shared your story with anyone before. Shine’s mental health support team members work with our expert church abuse lawyers and support our clients through the process of their historical abuse claim. You may have been abused by the church:
At church, in Sunday School or during a church-related activity such as a camp or before or after a service or event
In your home, such as happened in GLJ v The Trustees of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lismore and Bird v DP
At a church-owned school
Access justice with Shine Lawyers
Whether your church abuse claim settles before a court hearing or proceeds to court, your expert, compassionate church abuse lawyers and mental health support team will guide you through the process. We’ll explain what’s happening and help you anticipate what comes next.
Compensation can’t change the past, but it may help you move forward and right wrong.
Get in touch
To arrange a confidential, obligation-free discussion with our expert, trauma-informed church abuse lawyers.
Church abuse FAQs
Are there time limits to make a historical abuse claim?
Are there time limits to make a historical abuse claim?
There’s no time limit in Australia for making a historical abuse claim if you were sexually abused as a child by a person within a church or religious institution. This means that you may make a civil church abuse claim decades after your childhood sexual abuse occurred.
Can you seek compensation if your abuser has died?
Can you seek compensation if your abuser has died?
If you were abused by the church as a child, you may be eligible to make an historical abuse claim even if your abuser has died.
Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse found that adult survivors of child sexual abuse take an average of 24 years to tell someone. Your alleged abuser may have died since your Catholic sexual abuse or religious abuse, but you may still be eligible to claim compensation. The High Court has confirmed that a perpetrator’s death is no reason for historical abuse claims to be put on hold.
Do you need a church abuse lawyer?
Do you need a church abuse lawyer?
It’s possible to represent yourself for your church abuse claim. However, at an emotionally complex time, the advice and guidance of expert, compassionate church abuse lawyers and mental health support team members are invaluable.
Getting support for survivors of child sexual church abuse
Getting support for survivors of child sexual church abuse
In an emergency, please call 000. For ongoing professional support for you or your loved one, we suggest contacting any of the following organisations:
1800 RESPECT 1800 737 732 (sexual assault, domestic and family violence)
13 YARN 13 92 76 (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander crisis support)
Blue Knot 1300 657 380 (complex trauma due to abuse, neglect or violence)
Bravehearts free call 1800 272 831 (sexual abuse as a child)
Lifeline Australia 13 11 14 (24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention)
Our guide on supporting a loved one through a childhood sexual abuse claim may also be helpful at this time.
