Filing Deadlines for Child Sexual Abuse Cases: What’s Changing

For many survivors of childhood sexual abuse, the legal system has not always kept up with their trauma. Strict filing deadlines meant that by the time someone felt ready to come forward, the law often said it was too late. That reality is beginning to change in California and other states.

Across the United States, lawmakers have started reexamining how time limits apply to child sexual abuse cases. Some states have created new legal avenues for older claims to move forward. These laws matter because they give survivors a chance to be heard when the legal system once shut them out entirely.

Why Have Time Limits Been a Barrier for Child Abuse Survivors?

Every state sets a deadline for filing a civil lawsuit, known as a statute of limitations. These deadlines aim to encourage these cases be tried in a timely manner with reliable evidence. In child sexual abuse cases, they have failed to reflect how trauma actually works.

Young survivors may not come forward for reasons that include:

• Not understanding what happened to them was abuse
• Fear of not being believed by adults or authority figures
• Shame, confusion, or manipulation by the abuser
• Pressure from family members or institutions to stay silent
• Threats or grooming tactics used to maintain secrecy

If the statute of limitations expires before someone is ready to act, the claim is generally barred, no matter how serious the harm. For decades, this meant many survivors never had the opportunity to tell their story in civil court or seek accountability. That reality is the driving force behind recent changes to these laws.

What Has Changed for Child Sexual Abuse Cases?

As awareness has grown, several states have passed laws that temporarily reopen expired child sexual abuse claims. These laws are commonly referred to as lookback windows.

A lookback window creates a short period of time when survivors can file civil lawsuits that would normally be blocked by the statute of limitations. Once that window closes, the usual deadlines apply again.

California has been a leader in this area. In recent years, the state opened a two-year window that completely removed the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims. This allowed survivors to file civil lawsuits regardless of when the abuse occurred, even if previous deadlines had long passed.

States that have taken this approach often share a few common features:

• The law applies only to civil cases, not criminal prosecution
• The window is limited in length and may already be closing or closed
• The focus is on sexual abuse that occurred when the survivor was a minor

Why This Modified Time Limit Matters Now

These changes reflect a slow shift in how the law understands childhood sexual abuse and trauma. For survivors who were once told there was no option and no closure, that shift matters. It signals that the legal system is beginning to acknowledge that healing and readiness do not follow a fixed timeline.

Attorney J.J. Dominguez of The Dominguez Firm summarizes this positive legal trend. “While these laws do not apply everywhere, they represent progress. They offer renewed possibility for accountability, recognition, and a sense of closure that was once out of reach for survivors of childhood sexual abuse.”

He continued: “Taking legal action against perpetrators with the help of an experienced child sexual abuse attorney can bring accountability and help prevent similar harm to future generations.”