South Coastal Counties Legal Services, Inc. (SCCLS) provides free civil legal services to low-income and elderly residents of their communities. SCCLS provides free legal services in the areas of housing law, family law, government benefits including social security and disability, elder law, education law, and consumer law. South Coastal Counties Legal Services, Inc. serves Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Nantucket, and Plymouth Counties, and the towns of Avon and Stoughton.
Legal Assistance
Included in this list are organizations that provide free or low-cost legal services to victims of abuse and others who qualify. Even if the organization does not have a lawyer available to represent you in court, you may want to ask if there is a lawyer who you can consult with to get advice. Please note that we list the organizations by the town/city or county where the office is located – however, many offices may likely serve multiple counties. We indicate the “counties served” whenever possible. You can click “View All” to look through the complete list of organizations.
Barnstable
South Coastal Counties Legal Services, Inc. (Hyannis Office)
WE CAN
WE CAN provides free legal services to low and moderate-income women. Attorneys specialize in the following areas: family law: divorce, child custody and support, wills and estates, real estate, employment, immigration, landlord-tenant issues, contracts, and debt and consumer issues. WE CAN serves Harwich Port, Hyannis, and Falmouth.
Bristol
South Coastal Counties Legal Services, Inc. (Fall River Office)
South Coastal Counties Legal Services, Inc. (SCCLS) provides free civil legal services to low-income and elderly residents of their communities. SCCLS provides free legal services in the areas of housing law, family law, government benefits including social security and disability, elder law, education law, and consumer law. South Coastal Counties Legal Services, Inc. serves Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Nantucket, and Plymouth Counties, and the towns of Avon and Stoughton.
Essex
Northeast Legal Aid, Inc. (Lawrence Office)
Northeast Legal Aid, Inc. (NLA) has full-service offices in Lynn, Lowell, and Lawrence Massachusetts. NLA’s legal services include everything from community legal education and counsel and advice to full representation in complex litigation. NLA Lawyers and paralegals handle a wide range of civil legal problems including: housing evictions and foreclosures, consumer debt, public benefits, veterans legal needs, elders legal needs, community development, health law, domestic violence, and victims of crime and survivors of homicide victims with civil legal needs resulting from these crimes. Most of NLA’s services are limited to those who meet certain financial eligibility requirements, unless you are a victim of crime or a survivor of a homicide victim with a related legal need.
Northeast Legal Aid, Inc. (Lynn Office)
Northeast Legal Aid, Inc. (NLA) provides legal services to low-income individuals. NLA offers legal assistance in the areas of immigration, housing/foreclosure, public benefits, elder law, and/or victim of crime and survivor of homicide victim assistance.
Hampden
Massachusetts Justice Project
The Massachusetts Justice Project provides legal services to low-income individuals and families. Massachusetts Justice Project offers legal assistance in the following areas: family law, housing, social security, unemployment benefits, government benefits, emergency assistance shelter, bankruptcy or debt collection, and more. The Massachusetts Justice Project serves Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, Berkshire, and Worcester Counties.
Middlesex
Boston College Legal Services LAB
Boston College Legal Services LAB is a fully-functioning law firm within Boston College Law. Practice areas include: civil litigation (family law), community enterprise, entrepreneurship and innovation, housing, juvenile rights, immigration and the appellate program (provides pro bono representation to non-citizens with criminal convictions). Boston College Legal Services LAB serves Middlesex County.
Community Legal Services and Counseling Center
Community Legal Services and Counseling Center (CLSACC) provides free civil legal assistance and affordable psychological counseling for people with low incomes. CLSACC offers services to victims of domestic violence, families and senior citizens at risk of homelessness, people with disabilities, and refugee and immigrant victims of torture, gender-based violence, human trafficking, domestic violence, and other types of crime. The Center offers legal assistance in the areas of family law and domestic violence, housing, and homelessness prevention, disability benefits, and immigration and refugee rights.
MetroWest Legal Services
MetroWest Legal Services (MWLS) provides free civil legal aid to low-income people. MWLS’s priority practice areas include: family law (domestic violence), housing, homeless advocacy, government benefits (including social security), education, elder law, and immigration. MetroWest Legal Services serves Middlesex County.
Northeast Legal Aid (Lowell Office)
Northeast Legal Aid (NLA) provides free civil legal services to low-income individuals and families and the elderly in Northeastern Massachusetts. NLA’s lawyers and paralegals handle a wide range of civil legal problems including: housing evictions and foreclosures, consumer debt, public benefits, public benefits, veterans and elders’ legal needs, immigration matters, community development, health law, and domestic violence.
Plymouth
South Coastal Counties Legal Services, Inc. (Brockton Office)
South Coastal Counties Legal Services, Inc. (SCCLS) provides free civil legal services to low-income and elderly residents of their communities. SCCLS provides free legal services in the areas of housing law, family law, government benefits including social security and disability, elder law, education law, and consumer law. South Coastal Counties Legal Services, Inc. serves Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Nantucket, and Plymouth Counties, and the towns of Avon and Stoughton.
Suffolk
Greater Boston Legal Services - Main Office
Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) provides free legal assistance and representation on civil (noncriminal) matters to low-income residents with cases in Arlington, Belmont, Boston, Braintree, Brookline, Cambridge, Canton, Chelsea, Cohasset, Everett, Hingham, Holbrook, Hull, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Milton, Newton, Norwell, Quincy, Randolph, Revere, Scituate, Sommerville, Stoneham, Wakefield, Waltham, Watertown, Weymouth, Winchester, Winthrop, and Woburn. Areas of legal issues include, but are not limited to: elder support, employment support, family support (restraining orders, safety planning for abuse prevention, divorce, etc.), disability support, housing support, immigration support, and representation regarding DTA, cash benefits, food stamps and more.
The Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School
The Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School provides legal assistance to low-income individuals and families. The Center’s legal advocacy is organized into the following practice areas: The Safety Net Project is for disabled or injured veterans seeking to prove eligibility for disability related incidents; estate planning, family law and domestic violence, federal tax unit, housing and more. The Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School serves Suffolk County.
Volunteer Lawyers Project
Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP) provides legal help to survivors of domestic violence, tenants facing eviction, people with limited English proficiency who need a divorce lawyer, and more. Volunteer Lawyers Project serves Suffolk County and some towns in Plymouth, Norfolk, and Middlesex Counties.
Worcester
Community Legal Aid, Inc. (Worcester Office)
Community Legal Aid, Inc. (CLA) provides free civil legal services to low-income and elderly residents of central and western Massachusetts. CLA represents clients in legal areas including: family and children (domestic violence), elder law, housing and homelessness, immigration, and benefits and employment.