Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Massachusetts

Re: Defamation of character

Usually 3 years.

Re: Defamation of character

If you have been defamed, you have three years to file a lawsuit against the other party.

Re: Defamation of character

You have three years from the date you learned of the defamatory statement to bring a lawsuit against the person who published the statement. However, these cases can be quite expensive to litigate. The greatest difficulty lies in proving damages. Unless you are a public figure whose reputation was destrpyed as a result of defamation, it is difficult to establish a substantial amount of damages, unless you lost a job or a particular stream of business and can identify and prove it. These cases are also among those in our court system that are accorded the longest time frame, so it's more the rule than the exception that your case would not get to trial for at least three years. I would be happy to discuss the matter if you have any questions.