If you live in Brockton or Plymouth County and can’t afford a private lawyer, there are nonprofit and volunteer-attorney services ready to help with civil legal issues. This guide shows who to turn to, what kinds of problems they handle, and how to prepare when you reach out.
Major Legal Aid Organizations Serving Brockton & Plymouth County
South Coastal Counties Legal Services (SCCLS – Brockton/Justice Center of Southeastern MA)
- Who they help: Low-income individuals and families, seniors, people with limited resources, immigrants, and victims of crime in Brockton and surrounding parts of southeastern Massachusetts.
- What cases they take: Civil-law matters including housing (evictions, landlord/tenant disputes, unsafe or subsidized housing issues), public benefits, family law (divorce, child support, custody, protective orders), elder-law issues, consumer and debt problems, unemployment or employment issues, immigration-related civil cases, and help for victims of crime.
- How to contact: Brockton office at 62 Main Street, Suite 302, Brockton, MA 02301. Phone: (508) 586-2110 (or statewide intake 1-800-244-9023).
Free Clinics & Low-Cost Referral Options
- “Lawyer for the Day” / Housing-Court Clinics via SCCLS — For people facing housing court (evictions or landlord/tenant disputes), SCCLS sometimes offers volunteer-attorney “lawyer for the day” assistance or limited representation.
- Statewide Self-Help & Referral Tools — MassLegalHelp & Massachusetts Legal Resource Finder — Helpful if full legal aid is unavailable; you can get legal-information resources, court-forms guidance, and referrals to modest-fee or pro bono attorneys.
Common Issues Brockton Legal Aid Services Often Cover
- Eviction defense, landlord/tenant disputes, unsafe or substandard housing, subsidized-housing issues
- Public-benefits problems, unemployment issues, SSI/Medicaid/benefit denials or appeals
- Family law: divorce, child support, custody, protective orders, domestic-violence support, elder-law issues
- Consumer and debt issues — debt-collection defense, unfair billing, bankruptcy referrals or debt-relief help
- Immigration-related civil legal help (for eligible immigrants), especially around housing, benefits, family law, or crime-victim support
- Legal aid for victims of crime — domestic violence, elder abuse, discrimination, and other civil-rights or protective-order issues.
What Legal Aid in Brockton Usually Doesn’t Handle
- Serious criminal defense for felony cases: Civil-aid providers focus on non-criminal civil matters like housing, benefits, family law, debt, etc. Criminal defense is generally handled by public defenders or criminal-defense attorneys.
- Large commercial or corporate litigation: Services are designed for individuals, families, tenants, seniors — not businesses or high-stakes corporate cases.
- No guarantee of full representation: Because of high demand and limited resources, some eligible clients may receive only advice, limited-scope help, referrals or self-help guidance — not full representation.
How to Prepare Before You Call or Seek Help in Brockton
- Gather proof of income or financial hardship: pay stubs, benefit letters, disability/unemployment documentation, tax returns — many programs use income-based screening.
- Collect relevant documents related to your legal issue: For housing: lease or rental agreement, eviction or landlord notices, rent payment history; for benefits: agency letters; for debt: bills or collection notices; for family law: court or agency paperwork; for immigration: identification or status paperwork; for crime-victim help: police reports or protective-order filings.
- Note any deadlines or court dates: eviction hearing dates, benefit-denial deadlines, payment or utility shut-off dates, court-filing deadlines, etc. Urgency often affects whether a case gets prioritized.
- Prepare a clear summary of your situation: including what happened, when it happened, who’s involved, and what outcome you need (housing stability, benefits, debt relief, protection, etc.). Clear, honest information helps intake staff assess quickly.
Alternatives If You Don’t Qualify for Full Legal Aid
- Volunteer-attorney or limited-scope help via SCCLS or Housing-Court Clinics — Useful for advice, brief representation, or assistance with court forms even when full aid isn’t available or you are over income thresholds.
- Self-help and referrals via MassLegalHelp / Massachusetts Legal Resource Finder — Good for learning about your rights, filling out court forms, or finding modest-fee or pro bono lawyers across Massachusetts.
- Nonprofit and community-based support organizations (immigrant-rights groups, domestic-violence shelters, elder-services, consumer-advocacy groups) — These often partner with legal-aid providers or can help refer you to appropriate resources for housing, benefits, immigration, or protective-order issues.
Key Takeaways
- Brockton and Plymouth County are served by a robust civil-legal aid network, led by South Coastal Counties Legal Services, that helps low-income, vulnerable, and marginalized residents with housing, family law, benefits, debt, immigration, elder-law, and crime-victim civil-law needs.
- If you face urgent civil-legal problems — eviction, unsafe housing, benefit denial, domestic violence, debt crisis, or crime-related issues — don’t wait. Reach out early — there’s a real chance of free or low-cost help, or at least advice and referrals.
- Even if full representation isn’t guaranteed — limited-scope services, volunteer-attorney clinics, and community-based referrals remain good paths. Getting help and information is often better than going it alone.
- Before contacting help: gather your income or hardship documentation, any relevant legal or housing papers, deadlines or court dates, household or personal info, and a clear summary of your situation. Being prepared can improve your chances of getting help quickly and effectively.