Massachusetts Legal Resource Finder provides recommendations for free, low-cost programs in legal aid organizations, nonprofits, courts, and self-help documents. Read the stories of parishioners whose lives have been touched by civil legal aid. Free legal representation for low-income people If your legal problem is not criminal, it is a civil law problem. Legal Services lawyers help people with civil law problems. Legal aid is free legal aid for people who do not have a lot of money. If you have committed a crime or are accused of committing a crime, your legal problem is a “criminal” problem. Lawyers at the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) help people who have a criminal problem. To qualify for legal aid, you must have a low income. In addition, your legal services program should help you resolve the legal problem. Legal aid programs have very little funding. You can only work on a small number of legal issues at a time.
MassLegalHelp`s housing section has a lot of information about tenant rights in Massachusetts. Here you will find self-help forms, sample letters, brochures, manuals and frequently asked questions. Volunteer lawyers, paralegals and law students, led by staff lawyers, strive to give residents of the Greater Boston Area equal access to representation. MLAC funds organizations that help people solve civil (not criminal) legal problems. If you need help with a criminal matter, contact the Public Legal Services Committee at 617-482-6212. In general, your household income should be less than 200% of the federal poverty line. If you are 60 years of age or older, a victim of crime, a survivor of domestic violence or trying to receive public benefits, your income may be higher. Sometimes there are other special grants that can help people with certain problems, even if you have a higher income. Use the Legal Resource Finder to find legal aid in Massachusetts. You can find out if programs in your area are adding new customers. Massachusetts doesn`t have enough lawyers for everyone who needs legal help.
We can`t help everyone, even if you have a low income. Lawyers divide legal issues into 2 groups, criminal and civil. Massachusetts Legal Answers Online is a free service that allows you to ask a question to a pro bono lawyer on the Internet. This is a good option if you have one or two legal questions. Start here with MassLegalHelp.org. We have information in clear, easy-to-understand language. You can learn about many of the most common civil law issues, in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Russian, Haitian Creole and Chinese. They can help you understand your situation and take steps to resolve your problem. MassLegalHelp`s COVID-19 zone provides comprehensive information about your legal rights in areas such as housing, benefits, discrimination, healthcare, and more.
For more information about these MLAC-funded legal aid organizations, as well as other nonprofits, government agencies, and court programs that might be able to help you with your legal problem, visit the Legal Resource Finder. Provides free legal advice to victims of sexual assault on legal issues related to privacy, security, housing, education, employment, immigration, LGBTQ issues, criminal justice and financial stability. Provides free legal advice to asylum seekers and promotes the rights of imprisoned immigrants. The mission of Veterans Legal Services is to promote the independence, stability and financial security of homeless and low-income Veterans through free and accessible legal services. Visit MassLegalHelp for legal information and self-help materials. You can find legal advice programs throughout the state. In addition to regional legal aid organizations, MLAC funds legal aid organizations that specialize in a particular topic or type of law, including education, immigration, prisoners` rights, disability, consumer law, etc. For more information and assistance, please contact the legal aid organizations listed below. Legal information and self-help tools are available on our national websites.
You may also receive information from MassLegalServices.org. This website is for legal lawyers, but you may find it useful, especially if you are going to a hearing alone. These sites are a collaboration of the Massachusetts civil legal aid community and are funded by MLAC. MassLegalHelp is served by lawyers at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute; Mass Legal Answers Online is administered by MLRI with assistance from the Boston Bar Association`s Volunteer Lawyers Project and is part of the American Bar Association`s national Free Legal Answers project. Use the Massachusetts Legal Resource Finder to find legal help. You may be eligible for civil legal aid if your annual income is 125% or less of the federal poverty line. In Massachusetts, that`s currently $34,688 a year for a family of four. There are different criteria for seniors and victims of crime. Legal counseling programs help people with non-criminal issues such as: MLAC does not provide legal advice or representation. If you need help with a legal problem in Massachusetts, there are several ways to find it. Below you will find information on: Massachusetts Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service (617) 654-0400 Toll Free: (866) MASS-LRS ((866) 627-7577) TTY: (617) 338-0585 Community Legal Aid (855) 255-5342 Toll Free: (800) 649-3718 TTY: (508) 755-3260. North Shore, Merrimack Valley and other parts of Essex and northern Middlesex.
National experts on a wide range of consumer law issues, including: student loans, debt collection, civil protection, mortgages, consumer protection, etc. Harvard Law School Legal Services Center (617) 522-3003 TTY: (617) 522-3575. Provides national advocacy and leadership in promoting laws, policies and practices that promote economic, racial and social justice for low-income people and communities. South Coastal Counties Legal Services Brockton: (508) 586-2110 Fall River: (508) 676-6265 Hyannis: (508) 775-7020 Protects the health and civil rights of people incarcerated in Massachusetts. MassLegalServices.org – Information on specific types of rights by category. North East Legal Aid (978) 458-1465 Toll Free: (800) 336-2262 Court Website – Updates on Courts and Emergency Orders Volunteer Lawyers Project (617) 423-0648 TTY: (617) 338-6790. The Massachusetts Protection and Advocacy Agency, DLC, protects the rights of people with disabilities. Middlesex County Law Association Lawyer Referral Service (781) 939-2797. Greater Boston Legal Services (617) 371-1234 Toll Free: (800) 323-3205 TTY: (617) 371-1228 National Lawyers` Guild, Massachusetts Chapter, Lawyer Referral Service (617) 227-7008. National Labour Law Project – Resources to Support Workers During the Pandemic Harvard Legal Aid Office (617) 495-4408 Learn more about MLAC`s work to improve access to justice for all in the Commonwealth. MetroWest Legal Services (508) 620-1830 Toll Free: (800) 696-1501. Boston Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service (617) 742-0625 Toll Free: (800) 552-7046 Committed to upholding and expanding the rights of persons with disabilities and others in isolated environments.