Archdiocese of New York Settlement: The $800 Million Abuse Deal Explained

How the New York settlement would work

The $800 million would be paid into a survivors’ trust in two parts: about $615 million first, then $185 million within about 15 months. According to survivors’ lawyers, each claimant could take a $250,000 “quick pay” option or go through an allocation process that values each claim individually.

Survivors would also be able to pursue the archdiocese’s insurers, with any recoveries going into the trust. The archdiocese agreed to keep its list of credibly accused clergy updated and to provide documents to Iona University. The mediation was facilitated by Judge Daniel J. Buckley, who also oversaw the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’s $880 million settlement in 2024.

How the archdiocese is paying, and its fight with Chubb

The archdiocese says it has sold most of its real estate, including its Manhattan headquarters in 2024 for about $100 million, and cut staff and other costs. In late 2025 it had said it was raising around $300 million toward a settlement.

It is also suing insurers affiliated with Chubb, which it says are trying to avoid paying claims under historical policies. In February 2026 it accused Chubb of running a “shadow campaign” against it, and in May 2026 a court allowed the archdiocese to depose Chubb’s chief executive, Evan Greenberg.

What this means if you were abused in the Archdiocese of New York

If you have a pending claim, your lawyer should explain whether the settlement has taken effect and which payment option is better for you. If you never filed, New York generally allows childhood sexual abuse claims until age 55, although the Child Victims Act window for older claims closed in August 2021.