Legal Services in Massachusetts
Here is a listing of legal resources that cover a variety of issues throughout Massachusetts.
Andrea Joy Campbell – Attorney General
- Main Office Number: 617-727-2200
- TTY: 617-727-4765
- Consumer Protection Hotline: 617-727-8400
- Elder-Hotline: 888-243-5337
- Fair Labor/Business: 617-727-3465
- Health Care Hotline: (report scam) – 888-830-6277
Massachusetts District Attorney’s Offices
Massachusetts District Attorney’s offices can help in handling crimes against the elderly and people with disabilities including abuse and neglect. Some offices have Elder & Disabilities units.
Better Business Bureau
Eastern Massachusetts Better Business Bureau –
Phone: 508-652-4800
Send your request by postcard/letter to:
BBB
290 Donald Lynch Boulevard, Suite 102
Marlborough, MA 01752
E-Mail: info@boston.bbb.org
Central and Western Massachusetts Better Business Bureau
Phone: 508-755-3340
Send your request by postcard/letter to:
BBB
l400 Grove St
Worcester, MA 01605
Email: info@cne.bbb.org
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- At BCLS LAB, law students provide free legal services to low-income individuals and families under the supervision of law faculty who are licensed attorneys. The firm’s staff includes 8 supervising attorneys, a full-time staff social worker, an Administrative Assistant, an Intake Coordinator, 50-60 law students, and graduate level social work students who work as part of the legal team.
- If you have a housing problem, want a divorce, or are having a problem with EAEDC, SNAP, SSI, SSDI, or Unemployment benefits, you must be low-income and live in Waltham, Watertown, Newton or Allston-Brighton.If you are looking for help with the kind of legal issues handled by our Community Enterprise Clinic, you must live in the Greater Boston area and not be able to afford a private attorney.If you have an immigration problem you must be referred by attorneys or other social and legal services providers.If you are looking for help from our Juvenile Rights Advocacy Program, you must be referred by the court or another agency.
- Phone: 617-552-0248
- Email: bclegalserviceslab@bc.edu
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- Attorneys train other attorneys, parents, educators about education rights
Phone: 617-451-0855
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- Nonprofit public law firm providing mental health law and disability law services(class action suits). Does not provide individual representation (only Social Security appeal representation)
Northampton: 413-586-6024 (Voice/TTY)
Newton: 617-965-0776
Email: info@cpr-ma.org
Phone: 781-581-1977
Email: Info@CLCM.org
- Offices of CPCS/Youth Advocacy Division
44 Bromfield Street
Boston, MA 02108
Phone: 617-910-5829
Email: Info@CLCM.org
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- Provides free civil legal services to low-income and elderly residents of central and western Massachusetts regardless on income.Benefits and Employment, Elder Law, Family Law, Housing and Homelessness, and Immigration.
- Offices in Northampton, Pittsfield, Springfield, and Worcester with satellite offices in Fitchburg, Greenfield, Holyoke, Milford, North Adams, and Southbridge.
- Phone: 508-755-3260 TTY/TDD
- Toll free: 855-252-5342
DLC has experienced staff who provide services in the following issue areas. Please see our priorities for each of the issue areas:
Access to Community Services, Special Education, Health Care, Disability Benefits, Rights and Conditions in Facilities
- Boston: 617-723-8455 or 800-872-9992
- Northampton: 413-584-6337 or 800-222-5619
- Email: mail@dlc-ma.org
ADA Info Line – Department of Justice (DOJ)
- Technical assistance on ADA standards for accessible design; ADA provisions that apply to business; how to file ADA complaints
- Phone: 800-514-0301
- 800-514-0383 (TTY)
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- Chapter 151B description on web link.
- Boston: 617-994-6000
- Springfield: 413-739-2145
- Worcester: 508-453-9630
- New Bedford: 508-990-2390
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- Legal assistance for discrimination based on HIV or sexual orientation.
617-426-1350 or 800-455-4523
- Call GLAD Answers Monday through Friday, 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM at 800-455-GLAD, or contact us by live chat or email at www.GLADAnswers.org
- Email: gladlaw@glad.org
GBLS provides free civil (non-criminal) legal assistance to low-income people in Boston and thirty-one additional cities and towns (See a list of towns in GBLS’s service area.) The help we offer ranges from legal advice to full case representation, depending on client need. Our work includes; Asian Outreach, Children’s Disability Project, Consumer Rights, CORI and Re-Entry Project, Elder, Health and Disability: Elder Abuse Prevention Project, School to Prison Pipeline Intervention Project, Employment, Family, Housing, Immigration, and Welfare.
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- Main Office
Toll free: 800-323-3205;
- Phone: 617-371-1234
- 617-371-1228 (TDD)
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- Cambridge & Somerville
Phone: 617-603-2700
617-494-1757 (TDD)
Tenants We Help
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- Current public housing tenants or applicants
- Section 8 or MRVP voucher recipients
- Section 8 or MRVP voucher applicants
- Phone: 617-495-4394
- Email: tap@law.harvard.edu
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- Represents low income on health care access and insurance matters. HLA does not handle medical malpractice cases. “Health Care For All” legal help.
Phone: 617-338-5241
- Toll-free: 888-211-6168
The MBA’s Lawyer Referral Service (LRS), one of the largest legal referral services in the nation, makes it easy for you to find the right lawyer to answer your questions and help resolve your legal problems. Call us to speak to a trained LRS representative* (Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.) at (617) 654-0400 or (866) 627-7577
*Translation services are available.
There is no cost to utilize LRS, but referrals are made to fee-charging attorneys, who may charge you no more than $25 for the initial half-hour consultation.
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- Education, Special Education, Child Welfare and Health
- Phone: 617-357-8431
- Helpline: 617-357-8431 ext 3224
Discrimination services about employment, housing, public accommodations, services & education
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- Boston: 617-994-6000
- Springfield: 413-739-2145
- Worcester: 508-453-9630
- New Bedford: 774-510-5801
- Email: assistanttochairman@state.ma.us
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- Protects adults with mental and physical disabilities, ages of 18 and 59, from abuse and neglect by their caretakers. 24 Hour Hotline; conducts investigations; ensures protective services are provided; provides free training and education for service providers, consumers, law enforcement personnel and the public.
- Phone: 617-727-6465
- DPPC Hotline: 888-822-0350 TTY
- Toll free: 1-800-426-9009 Voice
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- Can help you find legal aid in your area.
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- State agency providing free legal representation for individuals, families, and associations involved in the mental health system.
Phone: 617-338-2345 (toll free- MA only) 800-342-9092
- Email: MHLAC@mhlac.org
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- Advocacy accessibility specialists, training & technical assistance, “Client Service Program”
Phone: 617-727-7440; 800-322-2020 (Voice/TTY)
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- Gives advice or free legal representation to elderly & disabled whom are unfairly denied Medicare.
Phone: 617-371-1234 or 617-371-1228 (TDD) – Boston
Cambridge / Somerville: 617-603-2700 or 617-494-1757 (TDD) –
- Toll free: 800-323-3205
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- Referral to attorneys who will represent you for a reduced fee
- Phone: 617-227-7335
Please note that we do not conduct in person client intake for referrals or walk-ins.
- For referral requests for attorneys call 617-227-7008. Please note the call volume is high. We advise all clients to utilize the online request form . Within one business day you will receive an email with an attorney’s telephone number.
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- Family law, housing, income maintenance, elder law Lowell
Phone: 978-458-1465
Patient Advocacy Contact Info at Boston Hospitals
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- Provides civil legal assistance to persons incarcerated in Mass county & state correctional facilities. Does not provide criminal defense services.
Phone: 617-482-2773
- Family and Friends call Monday from 1:00 to 4:00 (call Tuesday if Monday is a holiday): Toll free: 800-882-1413
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- SCCLS provides free legal help to low income and elderly clients in the following areas: housing law, family law, government benefits including social security disability, elder law, education law, and consumer law.
Brockton: 800-244-8393
Fall River: 800-287-3777
Hyannis: 800-742-4107
The Women’s Bar Foundation is dedicated to ensuring access to justice for low-income women. We create a community committed to providing free legal assistance to low-income women and their families.
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- Family Law Project for Battered Women (pro-bono); Elder Law Project-wills health care, Women’s Prison and Re-Entry Project- attorneys meet with women and answer questions regarding family law, child custody, care and protection, housing, CORI, and criminal warrant clearing in Framingham and Suffolk County, Hampden County Housing Court Project – to help reduce the number of unrepresented people in Housing Court, Women’s Lunch Place Project – volunteer attorneys to staff a weekly clinic for the guests of The Women’s Lunch Place, a day shelter for homeless women in Boston.
Phone: 617-973-6666
The Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP) provides free civil legal assistance to low-income residents of Greater Boston, primarily through the pro bono services of private attorneys.
VLP Handles, Landlord/Tenant, Homeownership, Foreclosure Prevention, Family Law, Guardianship, Probate (Wills Consumer Debt, Assistance to Non-Profit Organizations)
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- If You are Under 60: 617- 603-1700 or 1-800-342-LAWS (5297)
- If you are 60 or older call ERLI’s Elder Helpline at 1-800-342-5297
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- Children issues: DCF custody, guardianship, special education 766, suspension, expulsions and SSI. Serves low income children in eastern Massachusetts. The helpline hours vary depending on available staff.
Toll free: 888-KIDLAWS or 888-543-5297 or
- Phone: 781-581-1977
- Email: Info@CLCM.org
Fact Sheet last updated on: 9/1/2022
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