If you have been sexually assaulted, you may be feeling angry, scared, shocked, ashamed, depressed, anxious, and more. You may be cycling quickly through these emotions or experiencing them all at once. You might be feeling too overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, or depressed to return to work after a recent assault. Your relationships with loved ones may be affected. You may have difficulty enjoying the things that used to make you happy, or you may even have difficulty engaging in basic activities of daily living.
There is no one right way to proceed after experiencing a sexual assault. Everyone experiences and processes trauma in their own way. Some survivors will choose to seek justice through the legal system. They may choose to proceed through the criminal system, the civil court system, or both. The lawyers at MacIsaac and Company offer free consultations to explore those options with you and provide you with the information you need so that you are empowered to make the decision that is best for you. We specialize in helping survivors bring their claims in civil court, but we will never pressure you to proceed one way or the other.
As civil sexual assault lawyers, we help survivors of sexual assault sue assailants personally for financial compensation for the harm and injury caused to them due to the assault. You do not have to suffer physical injuries in order to bring a lawsuit. Most sexual assault survivors experience psychological injuries as a result of the assault. These injuries are just as harmful, and just as compensable, as physical injuries. The law clearly recognizes this and provides financial compensation to survivors for those injuries.
In British Columbia and in most Canadian provinces, it does not matter if the assault happened 10, 20, or 30 or more years ago. If the assailant is still alive, you can still bring your claim for compensation in civil court at any time because there is no limitation period in most Canadian provinces, including BC, for sexual assault.
If the assailant is deceased and their estate has been settled, then in most cases we will not be able to bring a claim in civil court. The exception to this is if there is another person, organization, or institution that may also have some responsibility for creating or allowing an opportunity for the assault to occur. The sexual assault lawyers at MacIsaac and Company are experienced in bringing sexual assault claims against those parties that have some “vicarious liability” for the sexual assault.
Oftentimes, survivors of sexual assault will be successful proving their case against an assailant in civil court even when the case did not result in a conviction of the assailant in criminal court. That is because the “standard of proof” in criminal court is much higher than the “standard of proof” in civil court. In criminal court, it is up to the prosecution to prove their case against the accused “beyond a reasonable doubt”. This is a very high burden of proof. In civil court, your lawyer must prove your case against the assailant “on a balance of probabilities”. This is a much lower standard of proof. It typically means your lawyer must convince a judge or jury that it is “more likely than not” that you were sexually assaulted by the assailant and that you suffered harm and injuries as a result.
115 – 19 Dallas Road
Victoria, BC - V8V 5A6
(Shoal Point at Fisherman’s Wharf)
+1 (250) 381-5353
email
200 - 190 Ingram Street
Duncan, BC - V9L 1P1
+1 (250) 746-4422
email
By appointment only
+1 (250) 334-3110
email
LARRY MCCREA LAW CORPORATION
Address
#3 – 95B Highway 97
100 Mile House, BC V0K 2E0
Phone 250-395-1151 / Fax 250-395-1153
office@lmccrea.com
www.lmccrea.com
MACISAAC & COMPANY
Address
By appointment only
Courtenay, BC
Phone (250) 334-3110 / Fax (250) 334-3108
courtenay@macisaacandcompany.com
STASIUK & COMPANY
Address
201 – 10300 – 10th Street
Dawson Creek, B.C. V1G 3T6
Phone 250-782-5297 / Fax 250-782-7746
stasiukreception@neonet.bc.ca
Address
200 – 190 Ingram Street
Duncan, B.C. V9L 1P1
Phone (250) 746-4422 / Fax (250) 746-1811
macduncan@macisaacgroup.com
BUCKLEY & COMPANY
By appointment only
Phone 250-372-1404
shawn@buckleyandco.ca
buckleyandco.ca
KIMMITT WRZESNIEWSKI
Address
202 – 1433 St. Paul Street
Kelowna, B.C. V1Y 2E4
Phone (250) 763-6441 / Fax (250) 763-1633
info@kimmitt.ca
kimmitt.ca
By Appointment Only
Call Toll Free 1-800-663-6299
Or email info@macisaacgroup.com
CHRISTOPHER H. JOHNSTON LAW CORPORATION
Address
208 Broadway
Nakusp, B.C. V0G 1R0
Phone (250) 265-0108 / Fax (250) 837-7194
info@nakusplawyer.com
www.nakusplawyer.com
NOWOSAD & COMPANY
Address
8700 Market Street
PO Box 1289
Port Hardy, BC, V0N 2P0
Phone (250) 949-6031 / Fax (250) 949-2633
nowosad1@telus.net
NOWOSAD & COMPANY
Address
Box 308, 1750 Campbell Way
Port McNeill, B.C. V0N 2R0
Phone (250) 956-3228 / Fax (250) 949-2633
nowosad1@telus.net
BVD LAW CORPORATION
Address
450 Vancouver Street Prince George, BC V2L 5N2
Phone (250) 614-1283 / Fax (250) 614-1284
bvdlaw@telus.net
RODWAY & PERRY
Address
1 – 699 Beach Road
P.O. Box 138, Station Main
Qualicum Beach, B.C. V9K 1S7
Phone (250) 752-9526 / Fax (250) 752-9521
rodwayandperry@shaw.ca
GARY LILIENWEISS
Address
342 Kinchant Street
Quesnel, BC V2J 2R4
Phone 250.992.9090 / Fax 250.992.9779
garyjl@telus.net
ARROW LAW CORPORATION
Address
202 First Street East (beside The Cabin)
P.O. Box 2639
Revelstoke, B.C. V0E 2S0
Phone (250) 837-6171 / Fax (250) 837-7194
info@revelstokelawyer.com
www.revelstokelawyer.com
VERDURMEN AND COMPANY
Address
450 Lakeshore Drive
P.O. Box 826
Salmon Arm, BC, V1E 4N9
Phone (250) 833-0914 / Fax (250) 833-0924
vlex@telus.net
RALSTON AND ASSOCIATES
Address
606 – 15216 North Bluff Road
White Rock, BC, V4B 0A9
Phone 604-581-0807 / Fax 604-581-0809
stephen.h@ralstonandassociates.ca
ralstonandassociates.ca
By Appointment Only
Call Toll Free 1-800-663-6299
Or email info@macisaacgroup.com
By Appointment Only
Call Toll Free 1-800-663-6299
Or email info@macisaacgroup.com
BUCKLEY AND COMPANY
By appointment only
Phone 250-372-1404
shawn@buckleyandco.ca
buckleyandco.ca
Address
115 – 19 Dallas Road
Victoria, BC, V8V 5A6
Phone (250) 381-5353 / Fax (250) 380-7272
victoria@macisaacandcompany.com
BUCKLEY AND COMPANY
By appointment only
Phone 250-372-1404
shawn@buckleyandco.ca
buckleyandco.ca
SIRRS LLP
Address
PO Box 6060, 5220 51st Avenue
Wetaskiwin, Alberta T9A 2G3
Phone (780) 352-3301 / Fax (780) 352-5976
mail@sirrsllp.com
sirrsllp.com
SIRRS LLP
Address
5034 – 49 Avenue
PO Box 4546
Ponoka, Alberta T4J 1E1
Phone (403) 783-6021 / Fax (403) 783-8363
mail@sirrsllp.com
www.sirrsllp.com
SIRRS LLP
Address
4714 – 50 Avenue
Rimbey, Alberta
Phone (403) 843-6986 / Fax (403) 843-3799
mail@sirrsllp.com
www.sirrsllp.com