Pre-settlement funding: Sexual Abuse & Assault

Pre-settlement funding for sexual abuse claims.

Civil claims arising from sexual abuse and assault, including institutional liability cases. How pre-settlement funding works for qualifying sexual abuse plaintiffs.

Non-recourse funding is repaid only from a settlement or award. Independent capital providers set the terms.

Bills do not wait for your case.

Rent, medical bills and living costs keep arriving while a case moves through the court. An advance against a pending case can cover them and is repaid only if the case produces a recovery.

Overview

How sexual abuse cases are reviewed

Civil claims for sexual abuse and assault may be brought against the individual perpetrator, the institution responsible for supervision and protection (schools, churches, sports organizations, youth programs, healthcare facilities), or both. Institutional liability claims — where a school, religious organization, or employer knew or should have known about the abuse and failed to act — are often more financially significant than individual perpetrator claims. State child sexual abuse survivor statutes and lookahead windows have opened litigation pathways for survivors whose claims were previously time-barred.

Institutional liability: schools, churches, sports programs, healthcare, and residential facilities
Workplace sexual assault and harassment escalating to civil claims
Child sexual abuse survivor claims under state lookback window statutes
Claims against individual perpetrators with identifiable assets or insurance
Qualifying criteria

What makes a qualifying case

Not every claim is a fit for funding. These are the factors our review weighs most heavily for this case type. Meeting them does not guarantee that a provider will fund.

A civil claim against an individual perpetrator or, more commonly, a liable institution that failed to protect
A claim that is timely under the applicable statute, including any lookback-window or discovery-rule exception
An institutional defendant with assets or insurance, or an individual perpetrator with identifiable assets
Retained counsel handling the matter with appropriate discretion

Requirement 1

Timely claim under the applicable statute, with retained counsel

Requirement 2

A liable institution with assets or coverage, or a solvent individual defendant

Requirement 3

A documented theory of institutional or individual liability

Terms

How terms are set

Rates and terms are set by the capital provider and written in the provider’s agreement before signing.

Term
How it works
Decision
Made by the independent capital provider, not by Criterica Capital
Advance size
Set by the capital provider
Pricing
Set by the capital provider and written in its agreement before signing
Repayment
Non-recourse funding is repaid only from a recovery. The provider’s agreement states the terms.
Process

How the process works for sexual abuse claims

  1. STEP 1
    Apply
    Contact us confidentially. Sexual abuse cases are handled with the highest level of discretion.
  2. STEP 2
    Evaluation
    Key factors: institution defendant (and their insurance/assets), the nature of the abuse, and the legal theory of institutional liability.
  3. STEP 3
    Provider decision
    Independent capital providers review the file, decide whether to fund and set their own terms. Criterica Capital does not make the funding decision.
  4. STEP 4
    Provider agreement
    If a provider funds the case, the provider's agreement states how and when funds are paid.
Underwriting

How we underwrite this case type

Sexual abuse matters are underwritten with strict confidentiality and a focus on institutional liability, which is typically where the meaningful recovery lies. We evaluate the theory that the institution knew or should have known and failed to act, confirm the claim is timely under any applicable lookback statute, and assess the institution's assets and coverage. Expected recovery is modeled against comparable institutional-liability outcomes.

Typical timeline

These cases commonly take 18 to 48 months, particularly where institutional defendants and statute-of-limitations issues are contested.

FAQ

Sexual Abuse Funding: common questions

Pre-settlement funding is a non-recourse purchase of a portion of the proceeds of a pending legal claim — not a loan. If the case does not result in a recovery, nothing is owed. Rates, fees, and repayment terms are disclosed in full in the funding agreement, which the applicant’s attorney reviews before signing. Availability and terms vary by state.

Keep reading