Partner Spotlight – Tom Fletcher, Partner & National Head of Abuse Law at Irwin Mitchell

Why we represent survivors and support NAPAC

Representing survivors of sexual abuse is not simply an area of law for me – it is a commitment to restoring control, dignity and voice to people whose autonomy has been taken from them. Civil justice can never undo what has happened, but when done properly, it can offer acknowledgment, accountability, and practical support for recovery.

Organisations like NAPAC are vital within this area. Survivors often come to lawyers after years – sometimes decades – of living with trauma in silence. NAPAC’s helpline, specialist guidance and survivor‑led insight ensure people are supported long before, during and after any legal process. Supporting NAPAC is important to us because legal outcomes and emotional recovery are inseparable; survivors deserve both justice and understanding.

Reflections on the changing landscape of civil law for survivors

The civil law has undergone significant change in recent years. Survivors are increasingly being recognised not as reluctant witnesses, but as rights‑holders entitled to safety, respect and choice throughout the process. Courts are becoming more responsive to trauma‑informed arguments, and long‑standing barriers – including rigid limitation rules – are finally being reconsidered.

We are also seeing a shift away from litigation as the default measure of justice. Many survivors want accountability, apology, or institutional change rather than a courtroom battle. As lawyers, our role is evolving: we must be both robust litigators and careful architects of alternative routes to resolution that avoid re‑traumatisation while still delivering meaningful outcomes.

Our internal work: building a trauma‑informed practice

At Irwin Mitchell, our abuse team has been deliberately shaped around trauma‑informed, survivor‑centred principles. Every lawyer carries a specialist abuse caseload, allowing experience and sensitivity to develop over time within a collaborative national team that shares knowledge, supervision and collective decision‑making.

We place strong emphasis on reflective practice and learning through experience, ensuring that the way we work evolves in response to survivors’ needs. Attention is also given to staff wellbeing, recognising that compassionate, consistent representation depends on having the right support structures in place.

In practice, this means meeting survivors where they feel safest, giving them genuine agency over how their case progresses, and shaping claims around what justice means to them – whether that is financial security, public acknowledgement, privacy, or apology. We routinely pursue non‑financial outcomes alongside compensation when they matter to survivors.

Looking forward

Civil justice for survivors is at an important crossroads. Progress has been made, but meaningful change requires collaboration between lawyers, charities and survivor organisations. Our partnership with NAPAC reflects our belief that law should sit alongside specialist support — not above it.

It is a privilege to act for survivors. Our duty is to listen carefully, act responsibly, and continue pushing for a system that truly understands the impact of abuse and the pathway to justice.