17 Resources
Statewide portal from the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation linking women to the LSC-funded civil legal aid program covering their county and issue. The directory routes Boston-area users to GBLS, central MA users to Community Legal Aid, and southeastern MA users to SCCLS. The site itself is 24/7 online; staff at 617-603-1700 can help with phone-based triage during weekday hours. Free for income-eligible Massachusetts women.
617-603-1700 · Statewide Online Resource · 24/7 Online · Visit Website
MBA's referral service at 20 West Street in downtown Boston connects women to vetted private attorneys offering a reduced-fee 30-minute consultation (typically around 5). Cases covered include family law, employment, housing, and consumer matters. Call 617-654-0400 weekdays 9am-5pm and describe your county and issue so the operator can match a member who practices in your Probate and Family Court division. Fees apply after the consult.
617-654-0400 · 20 West St, Boston, MA 02111 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm · Visit Website
WBF's Family Law Project at 18 Tremont Street pairs low-income Massachusetts mothers with pro bono attorneys for divorce, custody, and 209A cases throughout Suffolk, Middlesex, Norfolk, Essex, and Worcester counties. Survivors of domestic violence are prioritized. Mentors with experience in Boston Probate and Family Court back every placement. Call 617-973-6666 weekdays 9am-5pm for intake; income must generally be at or under 200 percent of federal poverty.
617-onal-help · 18 Tremont St, Suite 1030, Boston, MA 02108 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm · Visit Website
LARC at 197 Friend Street in Boston is the centralized phone-based intake hub for the Massachusetts civil legal aid network. One call to 617-603-1700 weekdays 9am-1pm gets women screened for eligibility and routed to GBLS, Community Legal Aid, MetroWest, SCCLS, or another legal services provider. Brief advice and self-help materials are offered when full representation isn't available. Free for income-eligible callers.
617-603-1700 · 197 Friend St, Boston, MA 02114 · Mon-Fri 9am-1pm · Visit Website
MIRA at 1 Beacon Street in Boston coordinates immigration legal services across Massachusetts and runs direct programs for VAWA self-petitions, U-visas, T-visas, and naturalization. Particularly important for immigrant women fleeing abuse who need protection without depending on a citizen-spouse petitioner. Call 617-350-5480 weekdays 9am-5pm; Portuguese, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Chinese interpreters are available through partner agencies.
617-350-5480 · 1 Beacon St, Suite 1500, Boston, MA 02108 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm · Visit Website
Operating from 1 Monarch Place in downtown Springfield, this office is the Western MA arm of the state civil legal aid network covering Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire counties. Attorneys handle divorce, custody, housing, MassHealth and DTA benefits appeals, and unemployment cases for women under 125 percent of federal poverty. Call 413-781-7814 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; Spanish-speaking staff are on hand.
413-781-7814 · 1 Monarch Place, Suite 400, Springfield, MA 01144 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
PLS at 50 Federal Street represents incarcerated women at MCI-Framingham and South Middlesex Correctional Center on conditions-of-confinement, healthcare access, parole, and reentry issues. Also helps women on probation facing surrender hearings. Call 617-482-2773 weekdays 9am-5pm; collect calls accepted from Massachusetts DOC facilities. Free for incarcerated and recently released Massachusetts women.
617-482-2773 · 50 Federal St, Suite 903, Boston, MA 02110 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm · Visit Website
MCAD at 1 Ashburton Place in Boston is the state agency enforcing Massachusetts anti-discrimination laws (Chapters 151B, 272 §92A, and 272 §98) in employment, housing, public accommodation, education, and credit. Women facing pregnancy discrimination, sexual harassment, or housing denial have 300 days from the act to file a charge. Call 617-994-6000 Mon-Fri 8:45am-5pm; intake is free and no attorney is required to file.
617-994-6000 · 1 Ashburton Place, Suite 601, Boston, MA 02108 · Mon-Fri 8:45am-5pm · Visit Website
LSC is the federal nonprofit corporation funding the largest civil legal aid programs in Massachusetts — GBLS, Community Legal Aid, MetroWest Legal Services, South Coastal Counties Legal Services, and Northeast Legal Aid. Their 'Find Legal Aid' map confirms which Massachusetts office covers your zip code and the income limits that apply. Free, public site, no login required.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
National portal whose Massachusetts presence is MassLegalHelp.org, the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute's library of plain-language guides, downloadable Trial Court forms, and self-help packets on divorce, 209A, housing, DTA, and MassHealth. Curated by Massachusetts legal aid attorneys; free for anyone with internet access.
Nationwide · Online
American Bar Association's national directory pointing Massachusetts women to law-school clinics at Harvard, BU, BC, Northeastern, Suffolk, and New England Law, plus the Massachusetts Bar Association referral line and county bar pro bono programs. Useful fallback when income-based legal aid programs are at capacity. Free public listings, no account needed.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
National coordination platform whose Massachusetts presence powers the Massachusetts Legal Resource Finder and supports volunteer attorneys at GBLS, the Volunteer Lawyers Project, and Community Legal Aid. The public-facing tools include curated form libraries useful for Massachusetts mothers preparing pro se Probate and Family Court filings.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Justia's free directory indexes Massachusetts legal aid offices, lawyer referral services, and pro bono programs by county and practice area. Useful when a woman has already been turned away by one provider (often due to a conflict or capacity limit) and needs the next-closest option in Boston, Worcester, Springfield, or Lowell. Free, no login.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Specifically for women facing abuse, stalking, or contested custody, WomensLaw maintains a vetted Massachusetts referral list of attorneys and DV-trained advocates — including programs in Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and the Cape. The site includes safety features like a quick-exit button and is free and anonymous.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
NCADV's get-help portal explains how the Massachusetts 209A abuse prevention order and 258E harassment prevention order processes work, how civil tort remedies overlay state law, and how VAWA federal remedies apply. Useful Massachusetts-relevant background reading before meeting with a Probate and Family Court attorney.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Legal aid portal for women veterans and military families — relevant for those near Hanscom AFB, Otis ANGB, and Westover ARB, or living in the VA Boston, Bedford, or Northampton catchment areas. Covers SCRA protections, custody during deployment, and VA benefits appeals. Free public resource.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
DOJ EOIR's recognized-provider list for Massachusetts includes MIRA Coalition, Catholic Charities Boston, the Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project (PAIR), and Greater Boston Legal Services. Use it to find low-cost or free filings for VAWA, U-visa, asylum, naturalization, and removal defense. Free public directory.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website