A New Window for Survivors: California's Law Reviving Time-Barred Sexual Assault Claims

If you were told, years ago, that it was too late — that too much time had passed, that the door had closed — California law has changed. You may still have a claim.

What Changed?

California has enacted a revival window for certain sexual assault claims that were previously barred by the statute of limitations. For a limited period, survivors may bring civil claims arising from sexual assault that the law would otherwise have considered too old to file — including claims against the entities whose acts or omissions allowed the assault to occur, or who concealed it afterward.

The window is defined by statute and it is limited in both time and scope. Whether a particular claim falls inside it depends on the facts: when the assault occurred, who is responsible, what was known, and what was done about it.

What You May Be Entitled To

A civil claim is separate from any criminal case, and it does not depend on whether anyone was ever charged or convicted. Depending on the claim, civil remedies can include compensation for medical and psychological care, past and future economic loss, and the harm itself — and, where an institution's conduct warrants it, additional damages intended to deter that conduct.

A civil case can also produce something a criminal case rarely does: a record, in your own words, of what happened and who allowed it.

Why This Matters Now

A revival window closes. When it does, claims that were revived by it are barred again, and no amount of merit reopens them. That is the only reason this page mentions timing at all. There is no other pressure here, and there is no wrong answer to the question of whether to come forward.

A Confidential Conversation, on Your Terms

You do not have to decide anything to have a conversation. Lexa will listen, tell you plainly whether the law appears to reach what happened to you, and explain what a case would involve — including the parts that are hard. What you share is confidential. You set the pace, and you can stop at any point.

If you would rather write than talk, the consultation form asks for very little, and Lexa will answer it herself.