It's been a long and arduous road to justice for abuse survivor Margaret Spivey.
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But now she has made it through, the Blackheathen wants to turn her attention to helping others considering the same path.
Her advice is simple: "Think really, really hard about it."
Ms Spivey was taken into care as an infant, after her father died and her mother abandoned her and her sisters.
She was physically and sexually abused in a foster home in Geelong and later suffered the same abuse in a number of institutions where she lived.
She sued the Catholic Church in 2003 and the Victorian Government in 2012 but received very small amounts of compensation.
Changes to the law meant other opportunities opened up in recent years. After the royal commission into child abuse, the Gillard government set up a redress scheme. But Ms Spivey chose to take the civil claims route.
"It's such an arduous journey. What I would say to anyone taking it on ... is think very, very carefully before you do," she said.
She believes there should be room for mediation in cases such as hers, either during the court proceedings, as part of them or in place of them. It may have shortened the process or made it a little easier.
Ms Spivey has a degree in social work and a masters in human rights, so is well educated and articulate. But even with that background, she struggled at the drawn-out legal proceedings, which took nearly three years to complete
"I have found this very difficult and challenging so it's understandable why so many survivors don't feel like they can go through this process.
"That saddens me and makes me angry. It shouldn't be so only some people get to do it based on the fact of whether or not they are capable of dealing with the system."
She admits it "made me feel like I'd been through the wringer" but added: "I am glad I did it... I needed to do it to find resolution for what happened to me and I needed to do it in a legal framework. I am pleased because now I have been able to move on."
Ms Spivey would have liked greater compensation but warned "even the big payouts don't alleviate the trauma in the way you think it would".
"I don't regret it but I would say to anybody who is contemplating it, you need to get good solid support around you."
Ms Spivey's focus now is on raising awareness of the gaps in the legal system and advocating for other survivors. If anyone wants advice, she would welcome an email - spivmarg07@gmail.com.
