If you’re looking for a clergy abuse lawyer, then you have a very complicated task in front of you. Finding a lawyer is never easy, but when it comes to sensitive cases like these, it can be overwhelming.

But it’s not just about finding lawyers. For the actual survivors, it’s confronting something that has affected their confidence and can help the survivors regain their sense of control. 

What if you’ve lived a long time with such a burden on your shoulder, weighing you down? What if it’s been a long time since the abuse happened; decades? What happens is the person responsible is no longer alive; what then? 

How do you get justice?

As you can see, a lot goes into this kind of case, which is why you want to make sure you choose an experienced lawyer who’s able to handle it. 

Read on, and you’ll find out 4 of the best options in Rhode Island.

Top 4 Clergy Abuse Lawyers in Rhode Island

Injury Lawyer Team

If you start looking at websites (which will probably be the first thing you do), you’ll find that the Injury Lawyer Team has one of the most detailed clergy abuse pages you’ll find. 

You can find broad claims about this sort of abuse all over the internet, but here, you’ll see more on the Diocese of Providence, religious schools, church camps, old records, and even the question of whether a given institution knew about the abuse and didn’t step in on time or at all.

You’ll also see some impressive numbers. They won $14.2 million (USD) for 6 young men who were abused by a priest at a school, along with some other settlements of $3 million, $2.8 million, $1.5 million, etc.

It’s not about the money, of course. The point is that Rhode Island lawyers at Injury Lawyer Team clearly show they’re capable of winning these cases. They also offer free consultations for those who aren’t sure if they still have time to file a claim.

Grewal Law PLLC

Grewal Law has experience with large sexual abuse cases against some of the biggest institutions. They say that they’ve recovered more than $1 billion for survivors. If you want examples, then you’ll want to know that they’ve represented 111 people in the $500 million Michigan State University/Larry Nassar settlement, 112 survivors in the $380 million USA Gymnastics settlement, and 44 survivors in the (roughly) $144 million FBI settlement that was connected to the Nassar investigation.

Those were not clergy cases, sure, but the firm has plenty of experience with complicated cases, and they’re more than willing to take on major institutions. As of right now, they’re reviewing Rhode Island Catholic Church claims, and just like the Injury Lawyer Team, you can get a free consultation with them. 

Also, they work on a contingency basis, meaning you don’t pay them anything unless there’s recovery.

Marin & Murphy Law Firm

If you want a local firm, then Marin & Murphy is one of the more obvious choices. Their offices are in Providence and East Greenwich, and their attorneys practice in Rhode Island.

Their page on clergy abuse is definitely worth checking out because it’s so specific. Seriously, it’s rare to see something like this. They don’t bother with general language about holding this or that accountable. Instead, they explain how claims can involve negligent hiring, poor supervision, not reporting abuse, and even trying to conceal what happened. Also, they check names against both Diocese records AND the Rhode Island Attorney General’s report. 

One other thing that’s actually pretty important (and that other firms merely gloss over) is that Rhode Island’s new revival law is still new territory, and as of the last time the firm updated their page, its constitutionality hasn’t been tested by the courts yet.

Rightful Legal, P.C.

Now, this is a much smaller firm than some of the ones you just finished reading about, but it deserves its spot on the list. Actually, the fact that it’s smaller is probably the biggest reason why it’s here. Rightful Legal was founded by Tracy Paulsen, and the firm says that their clients work directly with Tracy instead of being handed off through a large legal team.

Tracy Paulsen has almost 20 years of legal experience, and she’s worked on civil sexual abuse cases that involve religious institutions, schools, trafficking, rideshare companies, and others. 

The firm isn’t based in Rhode Island, though, but they have counsel that’s licensed to work in Rhode Island when that’s necessary. Consultations are free, and they work on a contingency-fee basis.

Conclusion

People will tell you not to get hung up on the numbers and pretty-looking websites, and that’s true in part. However, those numbers still tell you something useful, although they’re not exactly the only thing you should pay attention to.

The fact is that there’s no single attorney or law firm that’s absolutely perfect for everyone. That’s why you need to do your own research, and you can use this list as a starting point for that.