Church Takes Aim at Abuse Victims' Lawyers

As the cost of clergy sex abuse surpasses $1.5 billion, some U.S. Roman Catholic leaders are taking an aggressive, public stand against attorneys who represent victims.

The new development in the long-running clergy abuse crisis was partly triggered by proposals in several statehouses this year that would create a brief period when molestation claims could be filed _ even if the time limits for lawsuits had passed.

Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput portrayed the legislation introduced in Colorado as part of a conspiracy between advocacy groups and attorneys to enrich lawyers at the church's expense.
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Mark Chopko, general counsel to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, has outraged plaintiffs' lawyers and advocates by encouraging victims to seek settlements without an attorney. Victims would then avoid paying attorney fees, which generally run between 25 percent and 40 percent of each payout. [snip]
Washington Post