Find a lawyer and other domestic violence services

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:

• Casa Myrna Vazquez
  Legal Advocacy Program Helpline: (617) 521-0146
  Phone: (617) 521-0100
  Bilingual Spanish and English services available.
• Elizabeth Stone House
  (617) 409-5400 or (617) 427-9801
• FINEX House
  (617) 436-2002

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:

• Independence House
  (508) 771-6507 or TTY: (508) 771-6782

Chelsea:

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

Holyoke:

• Womanshelter/Companeras
  (1-877) 536-1628 or (413) 536-1628
  Spanish language support available.

Lawrence:

• YWCA of Northeastern Massachusetts
  (978) 687-0331 or TTY: (978) 686-8840

Leominster and North/Central Massachusetts:

• YWCA Central Massachusetts (serving Greater Worcester and North Central Massachusetts)
  Helpline: (508) 755-9030
  Online Chat

Lowell:

• Alternative House
  (978) 937-5777 or (1-888) 291-6228

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:

• Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center
  Phone: (978) 834-9710
  24 hour hotline: (978) 388-1888

Newton:

• The Second Step
  (617) 965-3999 or [email protected]

Northampton:

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

Pittsfield:

• Elizabeth Freeman Center
  (866) 401-2425 or (413) 499-2425
  43 Francis Ave., Pittsfield, MA 01201 

Quincy:

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

Salem:

• Healing Abuse Working for Chack (HAWC)
  (978) 744-8552 or (1-800)-547-1649
  27 Congress Street, Salem, MA 01970

Somerville:

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

Waltham:

• Jewish Family and Children's Services
  (781) 647-5327
  1430 Main Street, Waltham, MA 0245

Worcester:

• YWCA Central Massachusetts (serving Greater Worcester and North Central Massachusetts)
  Helpline: (508) 755-9030
  Online Chat
• New England Learning Center for Women in Transtion (NELCWIT)
  (413) 772-0871, (413) 772-0806 or
  (888) 249-0806
  479 Main Street, Greenfield, MA 01302
• New Hope (also serving Attleboro, Taunton and Webster)
  (1-800) 323-HOPE (4673)
  For Spanish support: (1-800) 223-5001
  For TTY: (1-508) 852-7600