Legal Aid in Boston: Where to Get Free or Low-Cost Legal Help

If you live in Boston and can’t afford a private lawyer, there are several nonprofit legal-aid and volunteer-attorney groups ready to help. This guide shows where to go, what kinds of issues they handle, and how to prepare when you contact them.

Major Legal Aid Organizations Serving Boston

(GBLS)

• Who they help: Low-income individuals and families, elders, people with disabilities, immigrants, and others in need of civil legal services in Boston and many surrounding cities/towns.
• What cases they take: Civil (non-criminal) issues: housing (eviction defense, unsafe housing, landlord/tenant disputes), public benefits, family law, debt/consumer, immigration, employment, and other basic-needs legal help.
• How to contact: Main Office at 197 Friend Street, Boston, MA 02114; phone: 617-371-1234 (toll-free 800-323-3205).

(HLAB — Student-Run Clinic)

• Who they help: Low-income residents of Boston and Greater Boston needing civil legal help; the clinic is run by supervised law-students.
• What cases they take: Housing, family law, government benefits, employment, immigration, and other civil-law matters.
• Contact: Call 617-495-4408.

(Harvard-affiliated, Jamaica Plain)

• Who they help: Low-income individuals & families in Boston / Greater Boston.
• What cases they take: Civil-law issues such as housing, disability benefits, consumer & debt, family law, veterans’ law, tax-law help, domestic violence, and more.
• Contact: 122 Boylston Street, Jamaica Plain, MA; phone 617-522-3003.

Other Helpful Referrals & Volunteer-Attorney Programs

• (VLP – Boston Bar Association) — Offers free civil-law assistance for eligible low-income people when full-service legal-aid providers are unavailable.
• Specialized Legal Providers for Specific Needs:
  • — for disability-rights and access issues.
  • — for survivors of sexual assault and related civil legal needs.
  • Other community-based / advocacy-oriented nonprofits (tenant rights, domestic-violence advocacy, immigrant support) — often collaborate with major legal-aid groups.

What Legal Aid in Boston Usually Doesn’t Handle

• Serious criminal defense cases — Most civil-aid orgs (GBLS, HLAB, Legal Services Center, VLP) focus on civil issues (housing, benefits, family law, consumer, immigration), not criminal defense.
• Large corporate or complex business litigation — Aid services are aimed at individuals, families, and vulnerable populations — not corporations or high-stakes business disputes.
• No guarantee of representation — especially for non-urgent or high-demand cases — Demand is high; even eligible people may only get advice, referrals, or limited-scope help rather than full representation.

Emergency & Urgent Help in Boston

If you face urgent civil-legal problems — eviction or threat of homelessness, unsafe or uninhabitable housing, loss of benefits, domestic violence, debt or consumer-collection crises, or immigration-related emergencies — act quickly. Some resources may prioritize urgent cases or offer faster help.

• Call GBLS immediately — 617-371-1234 or 1-800-323-3205 — they often handle housing emergencies, benefits loss, domestic-violence support, and other urgent civil-law matters.
• Use volunteer/clinic-based services (VLP, HLAB, Legal Services Center) for short-term advice or assistance with paperwork if full aid isn’t available — helpful when facing imminent deadlines or emergencies.

How to Prepare Before You Call or Seek Help in Boston

• Gather proof of income or financial need — pay stubs, benefit letters, disability or unemployment documentation, etc. Many aid programs in Boston screen by income or vulnerability.
• Collect any relevant documents related to your issue — housing: lease or rental agreement, eviction or landlord notices, photos of problems; benefits: denial letters; debt: bills or collection letters; family law: court or custody papers; immigration: ID and status paperwork; etc.
• Note any upcoming deadlines or court dates — eviction hearings, court filings, benefit cut-offs, debt-collection deadlines — urgency often affects whether you get help quickly.
• Have household and personal info ready — number of people in household, dependents, disabilities, veteran status, contact info. Helps with eligibility screening.
• Prepare a clear, concise summary of what’s happening and what you need — when the problem started, who’s involved, what changed, and what outcome you hope for (safe housing, benefits, debt relief, protection, etc.). Helps intake staff quickly understand your situation.

Alternatives If You Don’t Qualify for Free Legal Aid

• Volunteer-attorney programs (e.g. VLP) — May accept cases when full-service aid is at capacity or for people slightly over income thresholds.
• Law-student clinics and limited-scope representation (HLAB, Legal Services Center) — May be available even if full aid isn’t an option. Useful for housing, domestic violence, immigration, or benefits issues.
• Specialized nonprofits (disability, domestic-violence, consumer advocacy, immigrant support, veteran services, etc.) — For targeted issues that may fall outside standard legal-aid scope.
• Referrals via state-wide resources — For example, MassLegalHelp and the Massachusetts Legal Resource Finder can help locate other legal-aid or low-cost services across Massachusetts.

Key Takeaways

• Boston has a strong civil-legal aid network — with major providers like GBLS, Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, Legal Services Center, and volunteer/clinic-based programs — that serve low-income, vulnerable, immigrant, elder, and other residents in need of help with housing, benefits, family law, debt, immigration, and more.
• If you face urgent civil-legal issues — eviction, unsafe housing, loss of benefits, domestic violence, debt crisis, immigration issues — call early. With preparation, there is a real chance to get free or low-cost help.
• If full representation isn’t available — there are still helpful alternatives: volunteer-attorney services, law-student clinics, specialized nonprofits, and state-wide referral tools. These options often provide advice, paperwork help, or limited representation.
• Before reaching out — gather income information, relevant documents, household details, any deadlines, and a clear summary. Being organized can increase your chances of getting help quickly and effectively.