16 Resources
The Massachusetts Probate and Family Court oversees custody, visitation, paternity, divorce, and child support matters across all 14 county divisions. Self-represented mothers can use the court service centers for forms and procedural guidance, and emergency motions for protective orders are heard at the Boston headquarters on 24 New Chardon Street. Reach the office at 617-788-8300 Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:30pm; no filing fee is charged for indigent litigants who file an Affidavit of Indigency.
617-788-8300 · 24 New Chardon St, Boston, MA 02114 · Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:30pm · Visit Website
Greater Boston Legal Services runs a Family Law Unit at 197 Friend Street that represents low-income mothers in contested custody, paternity, guardianship, and 209A protective order cases throughout Suffolk, Middlesex, and Norfolk counties. Intake is generally limited to households below 125 percent of the federal poverty level; survivors of domestic violence are prioritized. Call 617-371-1234 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm to start an application or email info@gbls.org.
617-371-1234 · 197 Friend St, Boston, MA 02114 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm · Visit Website
MetroWest Legal Services covers Framingham, Marlborough, Natick, and 44 surrounding towns with free family law representation for mothers below 125 percent of poverty. The Framingham office at 63 Fountain Street handles divorces, custody modifications, child support enforcement, and abuse prevention orders. Spanish and Portuguese interpreters are available on staff. Call 508-620-1830 weekdays 9am-5pm for a screening; emergency 209A matters may be expedited.
508-620-1830 · 63 Fountain St, Suite 304, Framingham, MA 01702 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm · Visit Website
Community Legal Aid represents mothers in custody, child support, and 209A cases across Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire counties from its Worcester headquarters at 405 Main Street. Staff attorneys handle contested custody, removal motions, and modifications for clients under 125 percent of poverty, with priority given to survivors of domestic violence. Spanish-speaking advocates are on staff. Call 508-752-3718 weekdays 9am-5pm to start telephone intake.
508-752-3718 · 405 Main St, Suite 4-B, Worcester, MA 01608 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm · Visit Website
MassLegalHelp.org publishes plain-language guides walking Massachusetts mothers through Probate and Family Court custody, paternity, and 209A filings. Each topic includes downloadable Court Department forms, sample motions, and step-by-step filing checklists keyed to Massachusetts statute. The site is free, requires no login, and is maintained by attorneys at Massachusetts Law Reform Institute. Especially useful for self-represented mothers in Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and outlying counties without a lawyer.
617-onal-info · Statewide Online Resource · 24/7 Online · Visit Website
The Volunteer Lawyers Project pairs Boston-area mothers with pro bono attorneys for uncontested divorce, custody, paternity, and post-judgment modification cases. The Family Law Lawyer for the Day program staffs the Suffolk Probate and Family Court at 24 New Chardon Street, providing same-day advice to unrepresented mothers. Intake at 7 Winthrop Square typically requires income below 125 percent of poverty. Call 617-423-0648 weekdays 9am-5pm for screening.
617-423-0648 · 7 Winthrop Square, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA 02110 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm · Visit Website
South Coastal Counties Legal Services covers Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket counties with free family law representation for low-income mothers. The Brockton office handles custody, paternity, child support, and abuse prevention order petitions filed at Brockton, New Bedford, Fall River, and Hyannis Probate Courts. Portuguese, Spanish, and Cape Verdean Creole interpreters are available. Call 508-676-6265 weekdays 9am-5pm for an intake screening.
508-676-6265 · 231 Main St, Suite 201, Brockton, MA 02301 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm · Visit Website
Operating from 1 Monarch Place in downtown Springfield, this office handles custody, child support, and protective order cases for mothers in Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire counties. Attorneys appear in the Springfield, Northampton, Greenfield, and Pittsfield Probate and Family Court divisions. Income eligibility tracks federal poverty guidelines and survivors of abuse are fast-tracked. Call 413-781-7814 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm for intake; Spanish-speaking staff available.
413-781-7814 · 1 Monarch Place, Suite 400, Springfield, MA 01144 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
A project of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, WomensLaw provides Massachusetts-specific custody law summaries written by attorneys for non-lawyers. Sections cover legal versus physical custody under Mass General Laws Chapter 208, how 209A orders interact with parenting time, and how to request emergency custody when fleeing abuse. The site is free, anonymous, and includes a confidential email hotline. No account is required to browse the resource library.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
The American Bar Association Family Law Section publishes consumer-facing booklets on custody, divorce, and parenting plans, plus a directory linking mothers to the Massachusetts Bar Association referral service and other state bars. Section publications explain the UCCJEA, relocation standards, and how mediation differs from litigation. Useful for mothers cross-referencing Massachusetts practice against national norms. Free public resources at americanbar.org/groups/family_law; no account required.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
OCSS, an office within the federal Administration for Children and Families, oversees state IV-D child support programs including the Massachusetts DOR Child Support Enforcement Division. The site explains interstate enforcement under UIFSA, military-parent provisions, and how custody decisions interact with support orders. Mothers with a parent who has relocated out of Massachusetts can use the state agency directory to coordinate enforcement. Free, public, no account needed.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
The federal government's plain-English starting point for custody and child support, with a direct link out to the Massachusetts DOR Child Support Enforcement Division and the Trial Court's Probate and Family Court page. A good first stop for Massachusetts mothers who are not sure which state office handles their issue or who need to coordinate an interstate case. Free public site, no login required.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
HHS information gateway with free fact sheets on kinship guardianship, grandparent rights, ICWA, and safe-parenting plan templates that Massachusetts mothers can hand to a Probate and Family Court judge or Guardian ad Litem. Particularly useful for mothers navigating a DCF involvement alongside a private custody case. All materials are free downloads; no account needed to access the resource library.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
NCJFCJ publishes the bench-book guidance many Massachusetts Probate and Family Court judges train from, including domestic-violence-informed custody decision frameworks. Their free public briefs are worth reading before a contested hearing in Boston, Worcester, or Springfield. The site also lists upcoming judicial trainings on parenting plans and high-conflict cases. Free, no account required.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Free legal reference from Cornell Law School covering custody doctrine, the UCCJEA (adopted by Massachusetts at MGL c. 209B), and the constitutional rights of parents. Useful when a Massachusetts mother wants to verify a claim opposing counsel is making in a Probate and Family Court hearing. Statutes and case summaries are public and free; no login needed.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Plain-language legal articles aimed at non-lawyers, covering best-interest factors, how relocation works in Massachusetts under the Yannas standard, and what happens at temporary orders hearings in Probate and Family Court. Free and ad-supported — useful for Massachusetts mothers doing a quick concept check before calling a lawyer.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website