English
EspañolStatute of limitations explanation (AND specific lang about if there is an SOL to sue abuser civilly)
The statute of limitations applies both to the civil justice system and criminal justice system. In civil court, it generally refers to the amount of time that a person has to sue for money damages after the crime or act occurs. In the criminal justice system, it generally applies to how long a person can be prosecuted after committing a crime. The amount of time varies in each state and for each crime so you may want to talk to a civil lawyer to ask about whether you can still sue this person for this crime and the police and/or prosecutor about asking that s/he be criminally charged.
THIS IS ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION ABOUT “IS THERE AN SOL FOR SUING AN ABUSER CIVILLY”:
The concept of a statute of limitations applies both to the civil justice system and criminal justice system. In civil court, it generally refers to the amount of time that a person has to sue for money damages after the crime or act occurs. In the criminal justice system, it generally applies to how long a person can be prosecuted after committing a crime.
I know that you are specifically asking about the statute of limitations for suing an abuser civilly in STATE - however, the amount of time varies in each state and can vary depending on the type of civil act you are suing for. Therefore, you may want to talk to a lawyer to ask about whether you can still sue this person civilly based on the specific crime/act that occurred. Here is a link for the legal referral services in STATE:LINK Often the legal referral services will provide a consultation with an attorney for a small cost and so perhaps you can find out during such a consultation whether or not the statute of limitations has passed or not for your specific case. Also, in case you didn’t already see it, we do have some general information about suing an abuser in small claims court on our website here: LINK
