For most survivors of abuse it’s a difficult distinction to make and you’re not an attorney so it’s not really up to you to understand the difference and right now if there’s a civil window open in your state I highly suggest you talk to a good civil attorney to help you understand what your rights are and a good civil attorney will help you go through both processes because if you have civil rights you should also be able to go through the criminal process as well. Because the criminal process is where the state prosecutes a predator on the behalf of the state. The civil process is where the survivor the victim is in the driver’s seat but for both of those you should always have a good attorney looking out for your rights. So I believe that every survivor should
always have a good attorney looking out for them and have them guide you through the process to make sure that your rights are always protected.
