Experiencing a sexual assault can leave you feeling a range of intense emotions, including anger, fear, shock, shame, depression, and anxiety. You may cycle through these emotions quickly or experience them all at once. It’s also common to feel overwhelmed, stressed, or too anxious or depressed to return to work after a recent assault. Relationships with loved ones may be impacted, and you may find it difficult to enjoy activities that once brought you happiness or even manage daily tasks.

There is no single "right" way to move forward after experiencing a sexual assault. Everyone processes trauma differently. Some survivors choose to seek justice through the legal system, which may involve pursuing a criminal case, a civil lawsuit, or both.

Jessica offers free consultations to help you explore your legal options. Her role is to provide you with the information you need to make the choice that feels right for you. While she specializes in helping survivors bring claims in civil court, you will never be pressured to take any particular path.

Civil sexual assault lawyers help survivors file lawsuits against their assailants for financial compensation. This compensation covers the harm and injury caused by the assault, including psychological injuries, which are often as damaging—and as legally compensable—as physical injuries.

No, you do not need to have suffered a physical injury to file a civil lawsuit. Psychological injuries caused by the assault are just as significant and legally compensable as physical injuries. The law recognizes the profound impact of psychological harm and allows survivors to seek financial compensation for these injuries.

Yes, in British Columbia and many Canadian provinces, there is no limitation period for filing a civil claim for sexual assault. This means you can pursue your case even if the assault happened decades ago, as long as the assailant is still alive.

If the assailant is deceased and their estate has been settled, it may not be possible to bring a claim. However, there are exceptions if another person, organization, or institution shares responsibility for enabling the assault. Jessica is experienced in pursuing claims in cases of “vicarious liability” to hold those parties accountable.

Yes. Civil cases often succeed even if criminal cases do not result in a conviction. The main difference lies in the standard of proof required in each court.

In criminal court, the prosecution must prove the accused’s guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt,” which is a very high standard. In civil court, the standard is “on a balance of probabilities,” meaning it must be shown that it is more likely than not that the assault occurred and caused harm. This lower threshold makes it possible for survivors to seek justice and compensation through civil court.