About Us

Ellis Legal, Lawyers & Advocates

John Ellis has practised law for more than 25 years including 3 years heading up a government department legal branch and over 10 years with a large international law firm.  For the past 10 years, John has moved away from commercial litigation to specialise in advocating for survivors of childhood abuse.   Ellis Legal was established four years ago to work exclusively for survivors of abuse by clergy and personnel of other institutions.  As a survivor of clergy abuse, John brings a lived understanding of the practical and emotional challenges involved in holding powerful institutions accountable.

Nicola Ellis has practised law for more than 20 years, specialising in child protection.  Nicola is also a psychotherapist with qualifications in Social Ecology, Analytical Psychology, and Counselling and Applied Psychotherapy. These two fields of law and psychotherapy have provided a firm, trauma-informed grounding for the claim process developed by Ellis Legal.

Together, John and Nicola have developed a non-adversarial, collaborative claims process that seeks to hold institutions accountable and to generate the possibility of meaningful reparation for survivors.  This legally-principled approach seeks to combine proper legal outcomes with therapeutic experiences that support long-term trauma recovery.

Ellis Legal comprises a small team of lawyers and support staff, all of whom are committed to providing just outcomes for all clients.  The claim process is designed such that survivors can be supported in holding institutions accountable irrespective of their financial means and at no financial risk.  The Ellis Legal team also supports clients to engage with specialist trauma therapists if that support would be of assistance.

Article: A New Model for Seeking Meaningful Redress for Victims of Church-related Sexual Assault