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San Diego County Abuse Lawyer

Our office is in Chula Vista, in the South Bay of San Diego County. We represent survivors of childhood sexual abuse from Oceanside to the border, and we meet clients in person by appointment.

Cases we handle in San Diego County

  • Sexual abuse by teachers, coaches, aides, and staff in public and private K–12 schools
  • Abuse in after-school, sports, and enrichment programs run on campus by outside organizations
  • Abuse in county juvenile halls and probation camps
  • Abuse in foster homes, group homes, and residential programs
  • Failures to report under CANRA that allowed abuse to continue

Local institutions

San Diego County includes more than 40 school districts, two county juvenile detention facilities, and a county child welfare system that places thousands of children each year. Claims against these public entities follow the same rules as elsewhere in California: no six-month government claim is required for childhood sexual abuse, and the county or district is responsible for the supervision and reporting failures of its employees.

Where cases are filed

Cases are filed in the San Diego County Superior Court, most often in the Central Division downtown, with North County and South County branches for some matters. Our office is minutes from the South County courthouse.

What is different about a local case

Nothing about the law changes from county to county, but the practice does. Each county’s probation department, child welfare agency, and school districts keep records differently, use different insurers and defense firms, and settle differently. We know the local landscape, and cases against counties and large districts are handled jointly with a Los Angeles plaintiffs’ firm that represents survivors of childhood sexual abuse and institutional abuse across California.

Deadlines

For abuse before 2024, a survivor may file until age 40 or within five years of discovering the connection between the abuse and adult injuries. For abuse on or after January 1, 2024, there is no deadline. No government claim is required. Details.

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We answer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is no cost and no obligation. Nothing is filed without your permission, and nothing you tell us leaves this office.

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Attorney Stephen J. Costello
We answer 24/7 877-428-4544Free consultation