Fort Lauderdale Office

If you experienced abuse, assault, trafficking, or another serious crime in Fort Lauderdale, you deserve to have your safety, choices, and future respected. Edwards Henderson stands beside survivors as they consider their options, pursue accountability, and work to regain control. We offer confidential guidance from our Fort Lauderdale office and represent local residents, families, visitors, and others harmed in Broward County.

Edwards Henderson
425 N. Andrews Avenue, Suite 2
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

You can request a free, confidential consultation with our team.

A civil claim can give a survivor a direct way to seek accountability from the person who caused the harm and from an institution or business that failed to provide reasonable protection. This process is separate from a criminal prosecution. The survivor has greater control over whether to bring a case, the objectives of that case, and many decisions made along the way.

Our attorneys handle a wide range of civil claims in Fort Lauderdale and throughout Broward County. Through our broader crime survivor advocacy practice, Edwards Henderson represents people affected by violent misconduct, institutional failures, and other wrongful acts.

Sexual Assault

A Fort Lauderdale sexual assault lawyer can evaluate whether another party contributed to the circumstances that allowed an assault to occur. Depending on the facts, potentially responsible parties may include hotel operators, landlords, employers, schools, health care providers, nightlife venues, transportation companies, or property owners.

A civil sexual assault claim may seek compensation for medical care, counseling, lost income, pain, and the long-term effects of trauma. It can proceed separately from a criminal case, even when prosecutors do not file charges.

Sexual Abuse

Survivors of sexual abuse may have claims against both the perpetrator and an organization that ignored warning signs or failed to implement reasonable safeguards. Our Fort Lauderdale sex abuse attorneys investigate what responsible parties knew and how they responded to prior complaints, suspicious conduct, or safety concerns.

Edwards Henderson also represents families confronting the lasting consequences of child sexual abuse. These cases may involve schools, religious organizations, youth programs, residential facilities, health care providers, or other institutions entrusted with a child’s safety.

Sex Trafficking

Civil sex trafficking claims may involve individuals and businesses that knowingly benefited from or facilitated exploitation. Hotels, online platforms, transportation providers, landlords, and other entities may face scrutiny depending on what they knew, what warning signs were present, and whether their conduct contributed to the survivor’s harm.

Qui Tam/Fraud

Edwards Henderson handles appropriate qui tam and fraud claims for whistleblowers who expose misconduct involving government funds. Although these matters differ from abuse and personal injury litigation, they also give individuals a legal means to report wrongdoing and seek accountability from powerful entities.

Catastrophic Injury

A violent attack may cause permanent disability, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, disfigurement, or other life-changing harm. In these cases, our catastrophic injury practice assesses the survivor’s future medical care, rehabilitation, lost earning capacity, accessibility needs, and other long-term financial losses.

Our office is at 425 N. Andrews Avenue, Suite 2, in central Fort Lauderdale. The location is north of Broward Boulevard and convenient to downtown Fort Lauderdale, Flagler Village, the Brightline station area, and the neighborhoods surrounding the New River.

Directions to the office include:

• From the west and Interstate 95: Take Broward Boulevard east toward downtown, turn north onto Andrews Avenue, and continue to the office.
• From the east and U.S. 1: Travel west on Broward Boulevard, then turn north onto Andrews Avenue.
• From the south and Las Olas Boulevard: Take Andrews Avenue north across the New River and continue toward the office.

We recognize that visiting a law office may feel difficult after a traumatic experience. Our team works to make every conversation respectful, private, and manageable. We can discuss communication preferences, accessibility concerns, and whether an in-person, telephone, or video consultation is most comfortable. A person searching urgently for “sexual assault in Fort Lauderdale” may not yet know the correct legal terminology or what type of case may be possible. That is all right. We begin by listening.

Where Crime Victim Claims Can Arise in Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale’s tourism, marine, hospitality, and nightlife economies bring millions of residents and travelers into contact with hotels, entertainment venues, transportation providers, and other businesses. In 2025, Greater Fort Lauderdale welcomed more than 20.9 million travelers. That activity creates economic opportunity, but it also places significant safety responsibilities on businesses serving the public.

Claims may arise at hotels and resorts along Fort Lauderdale Beach, A1A, Seabreeze Boulevard, and the Intracoastal Waterway. A case could involve inadequate security, poorly controlled access, missing surveillance, negligent hiring or supervision, ignored complaints, or a failure to respond appropriately after a reported incident. Short-term rental operators and property managers may face similar questions when preventable dangers exist at a house, condominium, or apartment.

Las Olas Boulevard, Himmarshee Village, and the downtown entertainment district contain restaurants, bars, clubs, and late-night gathering places. Businesses in these areas may have duties relating to lighting, security personnel, staff conduct, alcohol service, guest complaints, and foreseeable criminal activity. A Fort Lauderdale sexual assault attorney can examine records, policies, video, incident reports, and prior complaints before evidence disappears.

Claims can also arise in:

• Schools, colleges, youth programs, camps, and athletic organizations
• Workplaces, restaurants, retail businesses, and professional offices
• Apartment buildings, condominiums, and gated communities
• Hospitals, treatment centers, assisted living facilities, and care homes
• Rideshare vehicles, taxis, shuttles, and other transportation services
• Religious institutions and community organizations
• Marinas, charter operations, cruise terminals, and maritime businesses

Port Everglades is a major cruise and maritime hub near Fort Lauderdale. During fiscal year 2025, the port recorded more than 4.7 million cruise passengers. Incidents connected to cruises, terminals, excursions, ships, hotels, or transportation providers can present complicated questions about the responsible company, contractual terms, evidence, deadlines, and where a lawsuit may proceed. Prompt review is particularly important when multiple companies or jurisdictions are involved.

No two cases follow the same path. We identify where the misconduct occurred, who exercised control over the setting, what each organization knew, and whether reasonable action could have prevented the harm. That investigation can help a survivor understand the available choices without surrendering control over the process.

Resources for Crime Victims and Survivors in Fort Lauderdale and Broward County

Immediate support is available even if a survivor is uncertain about reporting to law enforcement or pursuing a civil claim. Broward County’s Nancy J. Cotterman Center is the county’s only certified rape crisis program and accredited children’s advocacy center. It provides forensic medical examinations, specialized interviews, crisis intervention, advocacy, therapy referrals, and accompaniment services. The center also maintains a 24-hour crisis line at 954-761-RAPE (7273).

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department’s support services can help eligible individuals understand the criminal justice process, obtain referrals, and access available assistance. Reporting is a personal decision, and a survivor can speak with a civil attorney before deciding how to proceed.

People involved in criminal cases can also seek help from the Broward State Attorney’s advocacy unit. Criminal prosecutors represent the State of Florida, while a civil lawyer represents the survivor’s individual interests. These processes can occur at the same time, but they have different standards, objectives, and possible outcomes.

Seeking medical care, counseling, or crisis support does not obligate anyone to file a lawsuit. It can protect health, preserve options, and create a foundation for recovery. We can coordinate respectfully with support professionals while limiting unnecessary repetition of difficult experiences.

Broward County Courts and Fort Lauderdale Crime Victim Claims

Fort Lauderdale does not have a separate body of sexual abuse or assault law. Florida substantive law generally governs these claims, including rules affecting responsibility, damages, and filing deadlines. Our broader Florida sexual abuse practice addresses the statewide legal framework.

What changes locally is where a case may be filed and how it moves through the court system. Broward County is served by Florida’s 17th Judicial Circuit. Its main judicial complex is located at 201 SE 6th Street in downtown Fort Lauderdale, near the New River and several blocks south of Las Olas Boulevard. Circuit Civil divisions handle many civil lawsuits involving substantial damages.

A claim connected to Fort Lauderdale may proceed in Broward County when the underlying events occurred there, a defendant resides or conducts business there, or another venue rule makes Broward County appropriate. Cases involving out-of-state companies, cruise lines, national hotel brands, or conduct in multiple locations require a closer venue analysis.

Deadlines can also differ based on the type of misconduct, the survivor’s age when it occurred, the identity of the responsible party, and other circumstances. We examine those issues early rather than making assumptions about whether too much time has passed.

Why Choose Edwards Henderson in Fort Lauderdale?

Edwards Henderson is an advocacy-driven law firm that takes on powerful individuals, institutions, and corporations. We are known as “the crime survivors’ law firm” because our work centers on the people who endured the harm, not the organizations seeking to avoid responsibility.

Our approach combines careful listening with experienced litigation. We investigate the full history of an incident, preserve evidence, identify every potentially responsible party, and prepare cases for trial when necessary. At the same time, we recognize that a strong legal strategy must respect the survivor’s privacy, personal boundaries, and goals.

Clients can expect us to:

• Explain legal options in direct, understandable language
• Discuss privacy concerns before sensitive information is disclosed
• Investigate institutional failures and ignored warning signs
• Communicate consistently about decisions and case developments
• Work with qualified medical, psychological, financial, and security professionals when appropriate
• Pursue compensation while also seeking meaningful accountability

Legal action cannot undo what happened. It can, however, restore a measure of power, expose dangerous practices, and encourage changes that protect others. We help clients decide what justice means to them and then build the case around those objectives.

Meet Our Fort Lauderdale Attorneys

Our Fort Lauderdale team brings substantial litigation and trial experience to cases involving abuse, assault, trafficking, institutional negligence, violent crime, and catastrophic harm:

• Brad Edwards has obtained more than $1 billion in verdicts and settlements for clients, including a $71 million jury verdict for a sexual abuse survivor. He served for 15 years as lead counsel for Jeffrey Epstein survivors and later led litigation resulting in $365 million in combined settlements from JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank.
• Brittany Henderson has helped secure well over $500 million in verdicts and settlements for survivors and has represented more than 200 survivors of Jeffrey Epstein. She was instrumental in establishing the Epstein Victims’ Compensation Program and was part of the team that secured the $365 million bank settlements.
• Fara Gold spent more than 20 years prosecuting sex crimes and cases involving vulnerable victims; she became the Civil Rights Division’s first Senior Sex Crimes Counsel. She has prosecuted more sexual-assault cases involving law enforcement officers and other government actors than anyone in the country to date.
• Matt Weissing is a Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney with more than 30 years of experience. He is a lifelong Broward County resident and previously served as President of the Broward County Trial Lawyers Association.
• Dean Kaire represents crime victims and survivors of sexual abuse in civil litigation and is admitted in Florida and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. He was born and raised in Miami, graduated from the University of Miami School of Law, and previously interned with the Southern District of Florida and the Criminal Division of Florida’s Eleventh Judicial Circuit.