Childhood Sexual Abuse Compensation Claims
Providing compassion and commitment, when you need it most.
Overview
Abuse compensation claims
At GMP Law, we recognise institutional sexual abuse for what it is. A horrific betrayal by professionals responsible for a child’s well-being.
While seeking compensation cannot undo the experience of abuse, it can provide a measure of justice and financial support for survivors of child sexual abuse in their journey towards healing.
Our institutional abuse lawyers have the experience, compassion and tenacity to seek justice on your behalf.Â
Book a free, confidential consultation with our specialised historical abuse lawyers today.
Contact us for confidential, no-obligation consultation.
Experience
in childhood sexual abuse claims.
Rate
won
Our Process
The institutional abuse claims process
We know it takes a lot of courage to speak up and share your experience. That’s why our work is founded on compassion and unwavering commitment to supporting survivors.
When you seek abuse compensation through GMP Law, you’ll meet with an experienced and compassionate lawyer to discuss your experience confidentially.
With that information, we’ll be able to provide you with a no-obligation assessment of your eligibility to claim.
Your lawyer will then make sure that you are aware of all your options, make thoughtful recommendations and walk you through any legal processes that may need your attention.
Generally, childhood sexual abuse cases are settled privately through mediation. This involves all parties engaging in confidential discussions to reach an agreement, as facilitated by a neutral third-party mediator. However, if a settlement can’t be achieved, we are prepared to take your case to trial (litigation).
Mediation generally resolves within months, while litigation can take years. This is one reason why we offer our no-win, no-fee policy: regardless of how long your case takes and its associated costs, you can pursue redress without the stress of legal expenses — as our fees are contingent on a successful resolution.
National Redress Scheme claim vs a Civil Claim
Survivors of historical child abuse may file either:
- A civil abuse compensation claim, or
- A National Redress Scheme claim.
Following the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, the Federal Government established the National Redress Scheme for people who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse.
While the National Redress system provides an important and extremely valuable service, survivors should be aware that civil claims can often result in higher payouts — and that accepting a settlement under the National Redress System precludes you from seeking further damages.
For this reason, we strongly recommend that survivors of historical abuse speak to a specialist lawyer before accepting payment through the scheme.Â
A common misconception in historical abuse cases is that a perpetrator has to face criminal charges before civil claims can be filed. This is not true. If you or a loved one is a childhood sex abuse survivor, you can sue for compensation even if no criminal charges have been filed. This often means that civil action can succeed where criminal action has failed.
What compensation can I expect for my abuse claim?
Survivors may be eligible to seek compensation for damages including:
- Loss of earnings or superannuation
- Medical costs and domestic care
- Cost of treating the immediate physical or psychological injury.​
- Non-economic loss (pain and suffering) for ongoing psychological or emotional distress.
In some cases, courts have awarded victims “aggravated and exemplary damages”. This usually occurs in special or extreme circumstances when the court wishes to make an example of the defendant.
If you’re considering filing a claim, the first step is to book a free, confidential consultation with an experienced abuse compensation solicitor.
OUR CASE SUMMARIES
Maximum Compensation, Proven
Our guarantee
No Win, No Fee Institutional Abuse Lawyers
Not all ‘No Win No Fee’ legal firms are the same. Here at GMP Law, we cover 100% of all upfront costs.
Our no win, no fee guarantee
We take on 100% of all upfront costs for you. If you don’t win, we won’t charge you anything for our work — that is the basis of our law firm.
This approach also signifies that if — in the rare instance — we do not win your case, you will not be required to pay a contingency fee for our work together.
This means that you can focus more on healing, without the additional worry of legal costs by seeking the compensation you rightfully deserve.
Upon winning your case, we do not charge a percentage of the settlement — as may be commonly expected. Rather, we charge based on our time.
We are dedicated to serving Australia with the utmost commitment to our clients’ success and satisfaction, as evidenced by our 98% success rate and $4 billion in settlements delivered.Â
Client testimonial
“GMP Law changed my life.They fought for me at every opportunity and won a near record sum in my historical child sex abuse claim."

Frequently Asked Questions
More information about childhood sexual abuse compensation
Commonly asked questions concerning institutional sexual and child abuse claims:
What is the statute of limitations for sexual abuse?
A statute of limitations effectively sets a time limit on the start of legal proceedings. For offences that have a statute of limitations, claims have to be brought before the time limit expires.
If you or a loved one is a survivor of sexual abuse as an adult, the statute of limitations is three years. If you were a child at the time of the offence, there is no time limit.
We have successfully won cases relating to historic offences, including claims against public and private schools where the abuse occurred over 20 years earlier.Â
Can I sue a teacher for sexual abuse?
Compensation claims can be brought against both individuals and organisations. Examples of successful childhood abuse claims that we have previously handled involved:
- Professionals who have held a position of trust such as doctors, teachers, psychologists and psychiatrists.
- The Department of Community Services in New South Wales and equivalent departments Australia-wide.
- Religious organisations, including the Catholic Church.
- Actions against public and private schools, including boarding schools.
Which religious organisations are being investigated for sexual abuse in Australia?
Various religious organisations are currently being investigated in Australia for multiple cases of sexual abuse that occurred between their employees/members and people they were meant to be looking after.
Some investigations have included the Catholic Church, the Uniting Church in Australia, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd, and the Anglican Church of Australia.
Free Resources
Our guide to child and sexual abuse compensation claims
Download our comprehensive guide to assist you through child abuse compensation claims process.
Our TeaM
Meet the Child Abuse Compensation Claim team
Meet some of the diverse and dynamic compensation lawyers who support our clients with institutional sexual and child abuse claims.
OUR PROMISE TO YOU
Our difficult case policy
At Gerard Malouf & Partners, it’s our professional obligation to strive for maximum justice and achievable compensation.
Our difficult case policy ensures that our senior lawyers and experienced management team oversee notably challenging cases. This makes sure that we achieve the best results for our clients seeking accident injury compensation.
We maintain integrity by not accepting a case if we believe it is unlikely to result in compensation, or if the costs to our client outweigh the benefits.
This is our core philosophy and what differentiates us from other law firms.
We're here to help maximise your compensation
