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Find a lawyer and other domestic violence services

Produced by Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
Reviewed December 2019

The following programs offer free services to survivors and their families.

Services can include:

  • help finding shelter and housing,
  • legal help in restraining order and family law cases,
  • financial planning,
  • counseling services,
  • educational and community outreach,
  • employment workshops,

Not all programs offer all these services.

Most programs are multilingual.

If you are unsure which program to contact, you can call Safelink, a toll-free 24 hour Domestic Violence HelpLine, which can direct you to different services. 1-877-785-2020.

Massachusetts Legal Aid Programs

Legal services programs offer a variety of free civil legal help to low income Massachusetts residents. Areas of practice include domestic violence, family law, housing, consumer law, income and benefits, unemployment, health law, and immigration.

De Novo (formally Community Legal Services and Counseling Center CLSCC)
(617) 661-1010

Greater Boston Legal Services
(617) 371-1234

Community Legal Aid
(855) 252-5342

Northeast Legal Aid
(978) 458-1465

MetroWest Legal Services 
(508)-620-1830 or (800) 696-1501

South Coastal Counties Legal Services
(800) 244-9023

Volunteer Lawyers Project
(617) 423-0648

Women's Bar Foundation

Family Law Project for Domestic Abuse Survivors
(617) 973-6666

Law School Clinics

Law school clinics provide free legal representation in a variety of criminal and non-criminal legal matters. A number of clinics focus exclusively on domestic violence and poverty law issues. Students are certified to practice under the supervision of experienced clinical faculty.

Boston College Legal Services LAB
(617) 552-0248

Harvard Legal Aid Bureau
(617) 495-4408

Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School
(617) 522-3003

New England School of Law
(617) 422-7380

Northeastern University School of Law
(617) 373-8617 or (617) 373-8249

Suffolk University Law School
(617) 573-8100

Domestic Violence Service Providers

Some of the programs listed here have lawyers.  Some have legal advocates.  Many have other services and programs including shelter, housing advocacy, counseling services, financial workshops, job training programs, and others.  Contact the program for details.

Statewide:

  • Safelink
    Toll-free 24 hour Domestic Violence Helpline, operated by Casa Myrna Vazquez: 1-877-785-2020

Boston:

Greater Boston:

  • REACH (Refuge, Education, Advocacy, CHange)
    Serving Acton, Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Billerica, Boxborough, Burlington, Brookline, Carlisle, Concord, Dedham, Lexington, Lincoln, Littleton, Maynard, Needham, Newton, Reading, Sudbury, Waltham, Watertown, Wayland, Wellesley, Weston, Wilmington, Winchester, Woburn
    Phone: (781) 891-0724
    Hotline: (800) 899-4000

Brockton: 

  • A New Day (a program of Health Imperatives)
    (508) 588-8255, (888) 293-7273
    or TTY: (508) 894-2869

Cambridge:

  • Transition House
    Phone: (617) 868-1650
    Emergency hotline (24/7): (617) 661-7203

Cape Cod:

Chelsea:

  • HarborCOV
    (617) 884-9909, (617) 884-9799
    or TTY: dial 711 for MassRelay

Holyoke:

Lawrence:

Leominster and North/Central Massachusetts:

Lowell:

Metrowest:

  • Voices Against Violence
    Phone: (508) 820-0834
    24 hour hotline and TTY: 1-800-593-1125 or (508) 626-8686
    Spanish and Portuguese services available.

New Bedford:

  • The Women's Center (also serving Fall River)
    (508) 996-3343, (508) 999-6636, 
    (508) 672-1222 or TTY: (508) 996-1177
    Spanish or Portuguese bilingual support available.

Newburyport:

Newton:

Northampton:

  • Safe Passage
    Phone: (413) 586-1125
    24 hour Hotline (Spanish and English): (413) 586-5066 or toll-free (888) 345-5282

Pittsfield:

Quincy:

  • DOVE
    (617) 471-1234, (888) 314-3683
    or (617) 770-4065

Salem:

Somerville:

  • RESPOND
    Community Service Center Phone: (617) 625-5996
    24 hour Multilingual Hotline: (617) 623-5900
    (For TTY dial 711.)

Waltham:

Worcester:

Who to call for help

Find Legal Aid

You may be able to get free legal help from your local legal aid program. Or email a question about your own legal problem to a lawyer.

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