Child Abuse Law Center

The Child Abuse Law Center

The Child Abuse Law Center is dedicated to providing legal representation for abused children in the civil justice system. The Child Abuse Law Center also provides information about children’s rights and the civil justice system to child advocates, medical care providers, law enforcement and others.

Children who have died or who have been physically or sexually abused by other children or staff while in out-of-the-home care facilities, including state residential care facilities for children with disabilities, mental hospitals, juvenile detention facilities, group homes, foster care, and day care facilities frequently have civil claims for their injuries against both the perpetrator and the institution responsible for the care of the child.

The Child Abuse Law Center was established for the purpose of providing a voice for abused children in the civil justice system. By providing legal counsel to abused children, the Child Abuse Law Center uses the power of the civil justice system to obtain compensation for the terrible injuries suffered from abuse and to obtain meaningful reforms from institutions responsible for children in their care.

Justice for children begins when children have a voice in the civil legal system: when children are both seen and heard. Legal counsel available through the Child Abuse Law Center have extensive experience in the representation specifically of abused children in civil litigation lawsuits. Legal counsel who work with the Child Abuse Law Center do not require any retainer or up front fees: legal services are provided on a contingency fee basis so that counsel do not receive any compensation until the children are compensated. Legal counsel available through the Child Abuse Law Center provide legal representation at a reduced rate of compensation than is normally charged in other types of civil litigation because the Child Abuse Law Center is dedicated to the mission of providing justice for children.

In addition to legal counsel available for the representation of abused children in the civil justice system, the Child Abuse Law Center serves as a resource for free information for child advocates about children’s rights and the civil justice system, in many areas which coexist with a claim for abuse such as:

• Privacy and confidentiality issues during the pursuit of a child abuse claim
• What is involved in a child abuse civil claim: what is required to prove a claim, how long does a civil lawsuit take, what can be expected as part of the civil litigation process, what types of compensation are available for abused children as a result of the civil justice process, what types of reform measures can be sought from the institutions responsible for the care of children.
• Who has the legal authority to pursue a civil claim on behalf of the child: what are the different types of legal guardians, what are their powers, how can a guardian be obtained
• How the civil law process interacts with the criminal investigation and prosecution of abuse
• How to secure and obtain records and information regarding the abuse claim from the institution and other sources
• How to find knowledgeable and caring experts familiar with the type of abuse and the medical treatment and therapy available for an abused child.
• What is involved with a civil settlement or verdict for an abused child: how will the funds for the child be invested or managed, how will these funds affect other sources of income such as disability or Medicaid  

As part of its mission, the Child Abuse Law Center also welcomes opportunities to assist other groups dedicated to preventing child abuse, such as legislative, judicial, law enforcement, child advocacy, mental health organizations, and the medical community, with information about the power of the civil justice system to bring about reform, the rights of abused children to civil redress, and the nature of a civil law claim. Representatives available through the Child Abuse Law Center welcome the opportunity to provide or participate in seminars or other venues on topics of interest to child care advocates.

Justice for children requires bringing all of the different resources and advocates for children together to share ideas and information and support meaningful reform for the protection of children in institutionalized care.

For more information, please contact us today.

Our Lawyers

Legal counsel available through the Child Abuse Law Center are either members of the Holtkamp Law Firm or provide services though an “Of Counsel” relationship with the firm and the Child Abuse Law Center. Lynne M. Holtkamp is a principal in the Holtkamp Law Firm and a founding member of the Child Abuse Law Center with many years in civil litigation practice and specific emphasis on representing abused children. Through the years, other attorneys available to the Child Abuse Law Center have worked with Lynne on child abuse cases and have shared an interest to continue the vision and effort of the Child Abuse Law Center by working as primary counsel or co-counsel in civil litigation cases for abused children.

Lynne M. Holtkamp

Lynne Holtkamp has been licensed to practice law in North Carolina since 1989, and is a principal in the Holtkamp Law Firm and a founding member of the Child Abuse Law Center. She is also admitted to practice in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the United States District Court for the Eastern Middle and Western Districts. She has served on numerous state and local committees, including the North Carolina Medico Legal Committee and the Orange County Case Management Committee. With respect to child abuse litigation, Lynne has litigated numerous cases on behalf of children against institutions who failed to protect children from abuse. She is an active member of the American Association For Justice, Child Abuse Litigation Section, the North Carolina State Bar Association, the Orange County Bar Association, the National Crime Victims Bar Association, the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers, Juvenile Justice and Children’s Rights Section, and the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault.