This article exists to correct a common misunderstanding. Many websites still describe the New York Child Victims Act and Adult Survivors Act as if survivors can still file claims for old abuse under their lookback windows. That is no longer accurate.
Both Acts opened temporary "revival windows" that let survivors file civil claims that would have been time-barred under prior law. Those windows are closed. But that does not mean survivors are without options. Significant changes to the underlying statute of limitations remain in effect, and other legal frameworks — federal civil rights law, Title IX, common-law claims against institutions — may still apply.
The Child Victims Act (CVA)
Enacted in 2019, the CVA did two things for childhood sexual abuse survivors in New York. First, it extended the statute of limitations for civil claims involving childhood sexual abuse going forward. Survivors of childhood sexual abuse can now bring civil claims until they reach age 55, far longer than the prior law allowed.
Second, the CVA opened a revival window — a temporary period during which survivors whose claims were already time-barred could file regardless of when the abuse occurred. That window opened in August 2019, was extended once due to court closures during the pandemic, and closed permanently on August 14, 2021.
What that means in 2026: if you are a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and you are under age 55, the extended statute of limitations may still apply to your case. If you are over age 55 and you did not file during the revival window, the path forward is more complicated — but other doctrines (delayed discovery, fraudulent concealment, claims against institutions under federal civil rights law) may still create options. The analysis is fact-specific.
The Adult Survivors Act (ASA)
Enacted in 2022, the ASA was modeled on the CVA but for adult survivors of sexual offenses. It opened a one-year revival window from November 24, 2022, through November 23, 2023, during which adult survivors could file civil claims regardless of when the underlying offense occurred.
That window has closed. Like the CVA, the ASA also expanded the underlying statute of limitations going forward. For many adult sexual offenses, the civil SOL was extended to 20 years (from prior windows that ran anywhere from one to seven years depending on the offense). If you experienced an adult sexual offense within the past 20 years and have not previously filed, this expanded SOL may apply.
What's Still Possible in 2026
The revival windows are closed, but the law has not gone backward. The 2019 extensions remain in effect. Several other paths may apply:
- Extended CVA SOL (until age 55) for childhood sexual abuse: If you are a survivor of childhood abuse and under 55, the extended civil SOL still applies. Many survivors who did not feel ready to file during the revival window are still within this longer SOL.
- 20-year SOL for adult sexual offenses: For sexual offenses occurring after the 2019 reform, the longer SOL allows more time to come forward than the old 1-7 year windows.
- Claims against institutions: Schools, religious institutions, athletic organizations, youth-serving organizations, and other institutions that failed to protect or covered up abuse may face liability under multiple legal theories — including Title IX for federally-funded schools, §1983 for state actors, and common-law negligence claims with their own SOL analysis.
- Federal Speak Out Act: The 2022 federal law restricts the enforceability of pre-dispute non-disclosure and non-disparagement clauses in cases involving sexual assault or sexual harassment. This may free survivors who previously felt bound by NDAs to come forward.
- Fraudulent concealment: When institutions actively hid abuse — destroying records, transferring perpetrators, paying off survivors with NDAs — the SOL may be tolled (paused) until the concealment was reasonably discoverable.
The Confidentiality You're Entitled To
All consultations are confidential — and many cases proceed under pseudonyms
Attorney-client privilege protects what you share with a lawyer. Beyond that, New York courts have allowed many sexual abuse plaintiffs to file under "Jane Doe" or "John Doe" pseudonyms to protect their identity from public court filings. The motion to proceed pseudonymously must be filed and granted — but it is commonly granted in these cases.
If you are afraid of family members, an employer, or a community finding out, that fear should not stop you from at least learning your options. The first conversation with a lawyer is private, costs nothing, and carries no obligation to do anything afterward.
What You Should Do
- Talk to a lawyer privately first. Before talking to family, before talking to an institution, before signing any settlement offer — talk to a lawyer who can explain your specific options. Attorney-client privilege protects this conversation.
- Preserve any documents you have. Letters, emails, text messages, journals, photos, prior settlement agreements, anything that documents what happened or who knew. These are often more important than people realize.
- Do not sign anything an institution sends you — yet. Some institutions reach out to survivors with settlement offers, NDAs, or "investigation participation" agreements. Have a lawyer review anything before you sign.
- Know that there are crisis resources separate from legal services. The New York State Sexual Assault Hotline is 1-800-942-6906 (24-hour, multilingual). The national RAINN hotline is 1-800-656-4673. These are independent of any legal consultation and provide free crisis support.
When to Call Us
If you are a survivor of childhood or adult sexual abuse considering legal options in New York, call Madison Law Firm PLLC. The consultation is confidential and free. We don't charge unless we recover.
Madison Law Firm PLLC handles civil claims for sexual abuse survivors across New York. We understand the closed-window changes, the still-active expanded SOLs, the available institutional claims, and the procedural protections (pseudonymous filing, confidentiality) survivors are entitled to. We listen first. We move only at your pace.