Legal Issues and the Church - 49 min.
by William Meyer - Attorney


Important information for churches to understand:

• Pastors can hear confessions but not refer them to therapy that is still protected
• Church Counselors cannot hear confessions or counsel with any protection
• Attorneys can hear confessions and refer people to therapy, both with protection

What is new in the legal arena?
Essentially, there are more mandatory reporters now. Mandatory reporters of suspected child sexual abuse now include:

• All employees of public or private companies (this includes churches)
• All volunteers/leaders at youth groups/camps/kids events
• Also anyone tied into community events: i.e. coaches

How using an attorney helps

• Attorney finds out what they did and what the legal consequences are
• Attorney can refer them to a therapist WITHOUT the person being reported, because the person is still covered by attorney client privilege

Who can I contact if I have questions?

Please feel free to contact the PLA office at anytime. We’ll get you moving in the right direction or we’ll direct you to someone who will.