When Do You Need a Sexual Abuse Lawyer?
If you have been charged with any form of criminal sexual abuse in Canada, it is essential that you reach out to a lawyer for sexual abuse as soon as possible. The laws that govern sexual abuse crimes may vary by jurisdiction and depending on the age of the victim.
If a child was a victim, the charges may be called child molestation. If the victim was an adult, the charges may be called rape or aggravated sexual assault.
An individual may be charged with sexual abuse if they engaged in any type of sexual act with another individual who was not capable of comprehending the nature of the conduct or if they used fear or threats to make them engage in the sexual act. The three main common categories of sexual abuse that occur include:
- Child sexual abuse
- Rape
- Aggravated sexual abuse
Aggravated sexual abuse is when an individual uses force against or threatens a victim, which causes them to fear kidnapping, serious bodily injury, or death. This can occur in several different ways, such as knowingly rendering the victim unconscious or giving them a drug or intoxicant without their consent.
If you are convicted of a sex-related crime, you may be required to register as a sex offender. This means you will have to provide your personal information to a database, jurisdictional or national, including your:
- Address
- Employment information
- Physical markers, including scars or tattoos
- Databases of sexual offenders are accessible to the public and can be searched by name. Lesser offenses may require fewer years on the database and more serious offenses may require lifetime registration.
A conviction of a sexual abuse crime can have a major impact on your life, including your employment prospects and your custodial and visitation rights over your children. Because of this, it is very important to have legal representation throughout the criminal process.
If you have been a victim of sexual abuse, your first step should be notifying the local authorities. With sufficient evidence, law enforcement will forward your case to the proper authority to prosecute the individual who committed the offense.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Sexual Abuse Lawyer in Canada?
Hiring a sexual abuse lawyer will vary in cost depending on numerous factors, including:
- Billing method: A lawyer may use one of several billing methods, including:
- Hourly rate
- Flat fee
- Contingency fee
- Retainer fee
- Experience: Experienced lawyers often charge higher rates or fees than less experienced lawyers.
- Location: Lawyers in bigger cities commonly charge more than lawyers in smaller towns or rural areas.
If your sexual abuse lawyer uses an hourly fee schedule to bill their clients, they will typically charge somewhere between CA$200 to CA$500 or more per hour.
What to Look for in a Sexual Abuse Lawyer?
Because sexual abuse cases can involve sensitive information, it is important to find a sexual abuse attorney with whom your are comfortable working. Characteristics that will be helpful to look for in your lawyer include:
- Communication: As these cases can be both serious and sensitive and impact all areas of your life, it is important to choose a lawyer who responds promptly to your communications and concerns and who provides updates regularly.
- Experience: Finding a lawyer with experience handling sexual abuse cases is essential to ensure that your lawyer is familiar with the laws in your area and the possible outcomes of your case.
- Strategy: Your sexual abuse attorney should explain their possible strategy or strategies they plan to use creating your defense.
How to Prepare for Your Consultation With a Sexual Abuse Lawyer?
Preparing for your consultation with your sexual abuse lawyer before you go will help get your defense started on the right track. Providing your attorney with the information they need to present the best possible defense in your case is very important.
Things you can do to prepare for your consultation include:
- Making a written list of questions: Prior to your consultation, it is important to write down any concerns or questions you have, for example:
- Possible outcomes of the case
- The lawyer’s success rate with similar types of sexual abuse cases
- Possible consequences of a conviction
- Gathering evidence: You should bring any evidence related to your case to your meeting, which may include:
- Police reports
- Court documents
- Communications, such as text messages
- Videos
- Photographs
- Other types of evidence you may have
- Being honest: When you have a consultation with your attorney, it is essential to be completely honest about the facts surrounding your charges, even if it includes incriminating or embarrassing information. If you do not share everything you know, good and bad, your lawyer may not be able to prepare a successful defense on your behalf.
- Lawyers must follow professional confidentiality rules which means they are not permitted to share any of the information you tell them unless you approve.
Where to Find Sexual Abuse Lawyers in Canada?
An excellent and free way to find a sexual abuse lawyer near you is LegalMatch. It may seem like it would be easy to search online for “sexual abuse lawyers near me” or “sexual abuse attorneys near me” but this search might only give you numerous unhelpful and uninformative results you will have to wade through.
When you use LegalMatch, you will get information about sexual abuse lawyers in your area by simply:
- Submitting your issue or concern: Submit information about your sexual abuse issue on the LegalMatch website in around 15 minutes.
- Getting matched to attorneys in your area: In about 24 hours, you will get responses from sexual abuse lawyer matches in your area.
- Choosing a sexual abuse attorney: Your sexual abuse attorney responses will include information about their:
- Fee arrangements
- Background
- Education
- Client reviews
LegalMatch is a quick and convenient service that connects you with pre-screened and licensed lawyers in your area, whether you are in a small town or a large city like Vancouver, Montreal, or Toronto, as well as victim advocates who handle sexual abuse cases. By filling out a simple online form, LegalMatch can match you with lawyers near you with experience handling cases similar to yours.
