Law and Legal Help

Boston Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service can refer you to lawyers or other resources that specialize in the area of law related to your specific situation. Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. 617.742.0625, or toll free 800.552.7046. You can also request a referral by filling out their online form.

Receive an instant referral to a lawyers for your legal issue, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for any legal need. The site also includes concise information on criminal law, juvenile court, and tips on choosing a lawyer. 617.654.0400 or 866.627.7577.

Children's Law Center of Massachusetts provides legal assistance, resources, and referrals to youth, parents, attorneys and helping professionals in the following areas: education, immigration, health and mental health, and system-involved youth. 1-888-KIDSLAW (1-888-543-5298), Mondays through Thursdays 9 am to 5 pm.

CLAVC funded legal aid programs offer a wide variety of free civil legal services to victims of crime. Services can include housing, public benefits, family law, immigration, consumer law, health law, disability law, education, employment issues, elder law, veterans rights and much more. Contact the program directly by calling or applying for help online. CLAVC lawyers are based in six regional legal aid offices throughout the state, as well as three state ide legal aid programs. There is no charge for this service.

Court Service Centers are now open at six courts around the state. Court Service Center staff give one-on-one help with filling out court forms and answer questions about court procedures. All of the services in the Court Service Center are free, but there may be other fees with your case, such as filing fees. The Court Service Center in Boston is near the Haymarket T station at 24 New Chardon Street. Learn more about Court Service Centers

Disability Law Center provides information, referral, technical assistance, and representation for people with disabilities. 800-872-9992 or 617-723-8455.

Fair Employment Project offers information and self-help tools to Massachusetts workers about their rights on the job and the legal process. 617-902-0192.

Qualified individuals can email this site and get free legal information on non-criminal matters from attorneys. The site also offers an excellent overview of other free and low-cost legal help sources available throughout Massachusetts, some of which are also highlighted below.

Greater Boston Legal Services serves low income families and individuals. Certain services may be available without income limits or less strict limits for elders, victims of crimes and their survivors, persons with disabilities, and in limited assistance clinics. Middlesex and Essex county residents seeking assistance with Medicare are also eligible without income restrictions.

Immigration Help can help you prepare and file all of the forms needed for the various immigration benefits, for free.

Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School offers help in the areas of predatory lending and consumer protection, post-foreclosure eviction defense, family law, domestic violence, estate planning, disability benefits, and veterans legal services. They are located at 122 Boylston Street in Jamaica Plain but their building is closed during the COVID-19 emergency. If you are not a current client and are seeking legal help, you can call them at 617-522-3003 and leave a message. They will do their best to respond to messages but cannot guarantee a response or that we will be able to provide legal advice or representation.

Massachusetts Attorney General's Elder Hotline can help answer questions, resolve disputes with businesses, and assist with other issues, including abuse and exploitation, debt and debt collection, health insurance, home improvement, housing, long-term care, identity theft and scams, retail disputes, and telemarketing. 888-243-5337. TTY is 617-727-4765. Monday through Friday 10am-4pm.

Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation funds legal aid programs that offer legal advice and representation to low income Massachusetts residents with civil legal issues.

MassLegalHelp has helpful information on domestic violence, family law, landlord-tenant and housing law, criminal law, employment and unemployment, immigration, health and mental health, income and benefits, disability, consumer, and school law, and other topics. The site also has a directory of legal aid agencies in the state.

Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries provide free legal information at fifteen county courthouses across the state. Any resident of Massachusetts can obtain a TCLL library card, visit any library location, borrow circulating books, use legal databases, and get help from law librarians in person, or by chat, text, or email. You can contact a law library by text at 617-674-1455 Monday-Friday, or in person at your local law library. The TCLL website is open to all and can help you get started researching laws on a wide variety of topics. The site has an A-Z overview of laws by topic and popular name, and also includes full text of the General Laws (MGL), Code of Massachusetts Regulations (CMR), easy navigation to a lot of case law, links to forms. Legal Forms via the Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries. Locations, hours, and other information on the Trial Court Law Libraries

Mass Legal Services Legal Resource Finder provides contact information for legal aid programs, nonprofits, government agencies and court programs that may be able to help you with your legal issue for free or at a low cost. It will also give you links to legal information and self-help materials.

The Massachusetts Bar Association sponsors a monthly Dial-A-Lawyer program encouraging members of the public to call with their legal problems and questions. This program was created in order to assist the people of Massachusetts that have fallen through the cracks of the legal and criminal justice system. To use Dial-A-Lawyer, call 617.338.0610 or 877.686.0711 on the first Wednesday of each month between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.

The Self-Help Center of the Massachusetts Court System helps you find information on how the state court system operates and how to find a lawyer and locate other services.

Volunteer Lawyers Project has been dedicated to serving the families and individuals in the Greater Boston Area from lower income households and people 60 years and older, representing US citizens, green card holders, and certain legal immigrants.