Victim’s Advocates

What Is a Victim Advocate at Bachus & Schanker?

At Bachus & Schanker, we primarily focus on civil law litigation. That means we seek to obtain compensation for you or your loved ones after another party caused you harm.

Typically, civil litigation doesn’t involve criminal activity. However, when you have been the victim of intentional action, the perpetrator may be subject to both criminal and civil action.Our Elite Litigation Group handles these cases. This group is composed of victim lawyers who understand the complexities involved with wrongful death, sexual assault, and catastrophic injury cases associated with a criminal act. We have extensive resources to help victims navigate the justice system and heal from unimaginable pain.

What Does a Victim Advocate Do?

A victim advocate attorney supports you through the criminal legal process. Typically, civil law firms don’t participate in that part of the legal process. We are different. At Bachus & Schanker, we are committed to protecting your victims’ rights and ensuring you have legal representation during the criminal process.

The attorneys in the Elite Litigation Group have extensive experience working with criminal cases. Most have previous experience working with law enforcement, district attorney’s offices, or the judiciary. They use this experience to help victims get the justice they deserve.

Ensuring Proper Charges Are Made Against Your Aggressor

Prosecutors work for the state and not for the victim. This means they are under no obligation to file specific charges against a defendant. Our legal team gathers comprehensive evidence that shows exactly what the perpetrator did. We also exert pressure, when necessary, to ensure charges are appropriate to the crime.

Procuring and Preserving Public Records and Critical Evidence

Critical evidence is often quite short-lived. Video evidence may be deleted automatically after a few days, and physical evidence could be thrown out if it isn’t marked as important. At Bachus & Schanker, we identify critical evidence and preserve it for use in criminal proceedings.

This process is important because prosecutors and police detectives are often overworked and working with limited resources. Evidence for your case may evaporate purely because they don’t have the resources to preserve it. 

Our legal team is not limited in this way. We will expend whatever resources are necessary to protect evidence that is critical to your case.

This also applies to public records, such as 911 calls and body camera footage. While you might believe that public entities have better access to this evidence, it can still disappear before they acquire it.

Helping You Connect With Victims’ Resources

Recovering from a senseless crime can be harrowing. Your world may seem to be falling down around you. Frustratingly, the system expects you to navigate it while you are in physical and psychological pain. This is a lot to ask from anyone. 

Thankfully, there are resources available to help. Unfortunately, though, most people don’t know how to access them. Our Elite Litigation Group will connect you with local and national resources that protect your rights. 

You may be eligible for:

• Accommodations under the Americans With Disabilities Act
• Medical debt support
• Community-based financial support
• Therapeutic and recovery groups

We also maintain a list of relevant resources and will connect you with the ones that will help you heal best from this trauma.

How Can a Victim Advocate Support Sexual Assault Victims?

It takes incredible bravery to come forward after being the victim of sexual assault. Most victims are unlikely to report their assault, and those who do often wait years or decades to come forward. 

It is hard to come forward when you know the system will force you to reveal private information about your trauma and possibly face your accuser in an open court.

Our Victim’s Advocates Team will do everything in our power to protect your confidentiality and safety throughout the process. We understand the pain you have endured and will support you through every step. Once you decide you are ready to hold the responsible party accountable, we will fight to ensure the legal system protects your rights.

Work With a Wyoming Legal Team That Is Focused On Helping You Heal

The healing process after being a victim of a horrendous crime is never easy. For many, it is a never-ending battle. The Victim’s Advocates Team at Bachus & Schanker is dedicated to making this process easier for you.

If you are ready to bring justice to the person who harmed you, our team will fight to ensure the legal system protects your rights and respects the harm you suffered. We will also guide you to the resources you need to start recovering from your trauma.

When you are ready, speak to an experienced lawyer at the Elite Litigation Group at Bachus & Schanker.