MISSOULA -

A bankruptcy court in Idaho gets the final say in two multi-million dollar settlements involving hundreds of sexual abuse victims and the Catholic Diocese of Helena.

On Tuesday a bankruptcy judge in Coeur d'Alene will be asked to approve two separate sexual abuse settlements, totaling more than $19 million.

Decades after they came forward with their stories hundreds of sexual assault victims are ready to be compensated for the physical and emotional pain they endured so many years ago.

"All parties want is to have this adjudicated quickly. We hope the court approve plan so all the victims are compensated as soon as possible," said Vito de la Cruz with Tamaki Law.

On behalf of the victims, on Wednesday Tamaki Law will ask a judge to approve two settlements.

"This is how they will be able to be compensated once court approves the plan."

One settlement in the amount of $15 million between the Catholic Diocese of Helena and 362 victims was reached early last year. Tamaki Law is representing 95 victims who say they were sexually and physically abused when they were young children at various perishes, churches and missions related to the diocese.

The second, a more than $4 million dollar settlement, was reached in December. It's between a religious order of nuns, the Ursuline Nuns of the Western Province, and more than 200 victims. Many of the allegations came out of a boarding school run under a bishop with the Helena Diocese.

Due to limited finances of the Diocese both have to be approved by the bankruptcy court.

"When we settled with the Helena Diocese part of the agreement was to file bankruptcy in order to seek protection for all the claims, and provide protection."

Once the court approves the settlements, the victims are one step closer to being compensated, with the millions of dollars split up between them.

"These survivors of child abuse have been living with the trauma they suffered for many, many years even decades, so there was a huge need to get this done."

The Diocese plans to get the money through selling things they currently own. Both parties expect the judge to approve the settlements.