Victims of child sex abuse beginning today have a new chance to file civil lawsuits against their abusers and the institutions that enabled them,

A one-year window created by New York’s new Child Victims Act opens today, temporarily lifting the statute of limitations on child sex abuse cases. Victims can filed lawsuits through Aug. 14 of next year.

Law firms have been advertising for clients nationally for months. Some contacted Syracuse.com to report they would file lawsuits today. Law firms reported they would file nearly 1,000 lawsuits today, including some against the Catholic Diocese of Syracuse.

Organizations including the Catholic Church and Boy Scouts of America previously opposed the Child Victims Act, until changes were negotiated for the bill earlier this year.

More than 1,000 survivors of clergy abuse have already accepted settlement offers from Catholic dioceses in New York through victim compensation funds. Only four survivors who participated in those programs statewide rejected their offers. One was Kevin Braney, who was abused in the Syracuse diocese and rejected a $300,000 settlement. Braney has already sued.

The Child Victims Act exposes more than just the Catholic Church to lawsuits. A 66-year-old woman last week announced she would sue a St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in Camillus under the new law.

Public Affairs Reporter Julie McMahon covers courts, government, education and other issues affecting taxpayers. She can be reached anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1992