The Boy Scouts and the Catholic Church are the chief targets of dozens of lawsuits filed in New Jersey after a relaxed statute of limitations for child sex abuse suits took effect Monday.

As lawyers continue to file cases in the coming weeks, the sheer volume of litigation could have a massive impact on the Boy Scouts, the Roman Catholic dioceses and its parishes, and others as these entities struggle to defend themselves from the onslaught of lawsuits. Lawyers who represent abuse victims say their clients are compelling witnesses who are prepared to discuss the gut-wrenching story of how the abuse impacted their lives.