Probate and Family Court Department
Looking for Legal Assistance - Middlesex County

Welcome to the Probate and Family Court Department of the Massachusetts Trial Court. Many Probate and Family Law matters involve complex and valuable legal rights. You should always speak with an attorney before filing any papers.      This booklet contains a list of Lawyer Referral Services, Free Legal Resources and Legal Aid Agencies in Middlesex County

Lawyer Referral Services	Massachusetts Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service Referrals to private attorneys, including reduced fee panel.Call (617) 654-0400 or (800) 392-6164 email: lrs@massbar.org To register online, visit http://www.massbar.org/lawhelp/ Boston Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service Referrals to private attorneys, including reduced fee panel. Serves mainly Greater Boston, inside Route 495, but will provide referrals throughout Massachusetts.Call (617) 742-0625 or email: lrs@bostonbar.org For more information, visit www.bostonbar.org/lrs/index.htm Lawyer Referral Service of Middlesex County Bar Association Referrals to attorneys in Middlesex County. Call (617) 494-4150 National Lawyers Guild 14 Beacon Street, Suite 407 Boston, MA 02108 Lawyer referral service geared to low and moderate income clients, women and minority rights issues but will take any case. Spanish speaking staff available.  Serves Greater Boston.Call (617) 227-7008, Monday through Friday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. or leave a message
Legal Resources The Massachusetts Trial Court provides free legal resources	Massachusetts Judicial Branch Web Site The official web site of the Judicial Branch includes judicial profiles, addresses, phone numbers and directions for courthouses as well as other useful information about the Trial Court. Click on www.state.ma.us/courts Middlesex Law Library 40 Thorndike Street Cambridge, MA 02141 Lowell Law Library Superior Courthouse 360 Gorham Street Lowell, MA 01852 The Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries are open to the public, providing legal reference services and legal research assistance. The library is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Ask at the Registry of Probate for the Law Libraries pamphlet which provides more details.  Call (617) 494-4148 (Cambridge) or (978) 452-9301 (Lowell) or visit the Law Libraries web site www.lawlib.state.ma.us
Free resources offered by the Massachusetts Bar Association	Tel-Law Tel-Law is a collection of recorded messages designed to answer basic questions about the law. Tel-Law is fully automated and you can access it 24 hours / day by calling (617) 338-0669 (Toll charges may apply). Web Site The MBA's web site offers answers to basic legal questions. Point your browser to www.massbar.org Dial-A-Lawyer The first Wednesday of every month you can get free legal help, by telephone, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.  Lawyer volunteers staff phones to answer your questions.Call (617) 338-0610
Legal Service Agencies These resources are available only to very low income and elderly individuals	Legal Advocacy & Resource Center Provides telephone information, pro se assistance and referrals to legal service agencies. Intake hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Wednesday 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Call (800) 342-5297 Cambridge and Somerville Legal Services 432 Columbia Street, Suite 16 Cambridge, MA 02141 (617) 494-1800 Will handle cases for victims of domestic violence or for primary caretakers in contested custody and visitation cases involving child abuse or neglect. Also cases for custodial parent seeking child support.Serves Arlington, Belmont, Cambridge, Everett, Medford, Somerville and Watertown. Greater Boston Legal Services 197 Friend Street Boston, MA 02114 (800) 323-3205 or (617) 371-1234 Represents custodial parents in divorce, paternity, visitation, parental kidnapping, contested guardianships and contempts (with certain restrictions). Represents prospective guardians if parents do not object. Limited respresentation in DSS involved cases (with certain restrictions).Serves Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Newton, Stoneham, Wakefield, Waltham and Watertown. South Middlesex Legal Services 354 Waverly Street Framingham, MA 01702 (508) 620-1830 or (800) 696-1501 Handles divorces for custodial parent or must be disabled.  Domestic violence cases (209A restraining orders).  Also has pro bono divorce panel. Serves Acton, Ashland, Bedford, Carlisle, Concord, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson, Lexington, Lincoln, Marlborough, Maynard, Natick, Sherborn, Stow, Sudbury, Wayland and Weston. Merrimack Valley Legal Services 35 John Street, Suite 302 Lowell, MA 01852 (978) 458-1465 or (978) 458-7701 Handles divorce and custody cases for primary caretaker if case involves recent abuse or child custody dispute.Serves Ashby, Ayer, Billerica, Boxborough, Burlington, Chelmsford, Dracut, Dunstable, Groton, Lowell, Littleton, North Reading, Pepperell, Reading, Shirley, Tewksbury, Townsend, Tyngsborough, Westford and Wilmington. Tri-Cap, Inc. 110 Pleasant Street Malden, MA 02148 (781) 322-4125 Handles divorces, custody, visitation, modifications, guardianship, name changes, simple wills and probate of simple estates.Serves Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose and Wakefield. Boston College Legal Assistance Bureau 24 Crescent Street, Suite 202 Waltham, MA 02453-4088 (781) 893-4793 Contested divorces, custody issues for custodial and non-custodial parents, child support (priority to custodial parents) and emergency 209A complaints.Serves Newton, Watertown and Waltham. Harvard Legal Aid Bureau 1587 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge, MA 02138 (617) 495-4408 Handles family law cases for custodial parents; divorce, 209A issues, support, custody, contempt, visitation for non-custodial parent if no domestic violence and client is up to date on support. Serves Arlington, Belmont, Burlington, Cambridge, Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Newton, N. Reading, Somerville, Stoneham, Wakefield, Waltham, Watertown, Weston, Wilmington, Winchester and Woburn. New England School of Law Clinical Law Office 46 Church Street Boston, MA 02116 (617) 442-7380 Handles divorces for primary caretaker only. Serves Everett, Malden, Melrose and Wakefield.  Suffolk University Legal Assistance Bureau 350 Broadway Chelsea, MA 02150 (617) 884-7568 Represents indigent clients in divorces involving custody or property. Jewish Family Services - Bet Tzedek of Boston 1340 Centre Street Newton, MA 02459 (617) 558-1278 Provides referrals to pro bono or low-cost attorneys in family law cases including divorce, alimony, custody, visitation, domestic violence, guardianship and conservatorship. Will handle Russian speaking clients. Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association 29 Temple Place, Suite 300 Boston, MA 02111 (617) 423-0648 or (617) 338-6790 (TTY) Assigns private volunteer attorneys to represent indigent individuals in divorces, child custody cases, wills and uncontested guardianships of minors and adults.Serves Arlington, Belmont, Cambridge, Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Newton, Somerville, Stoneham, Wakefield, Waltham, Watertown, Winchester and Woburn. Family Law Project for Battered Women Women's Bar Association and Women's Bar Foundation Provides free legal services to battered women involved in contested domestic relations cases. Applicants must have been denied eligibility by legal service organizations to qualify.Call Women's Bar Foundation at (617) 589-9420
Lawyer of the Day	Lawyer of the Day Private, volunteer attorney offers brief consultation at the courthouse providing basic legal advice to qualifying individuals on a walk-in basis. Attorney does not continue to advise the individual after the initial meeting or accompany individual into the courtroom. Attorney may not be available every day. For availability, call (617) 768-5981 or ask at the Registry of Probate.