MassLegalHelp`s COVID-19 zone provides comprehensive information about your legal rights in areas such as housing, benefits, discrimination, healthcare, and more. The mission of Veterans Legal Services is to promote the independence, stability and financial security of homeless and low-income Veterans through free and accessible legal services. The MBA`s Lawyer Referral Service (LRS), one of the largest legal recommendation services in the country, makes it easy for you to find the right lawyer to answer your questions and help you resolve your legal problems. Connect with an LRS lawyer today. The use of the LRS is free, but referrals are made to fee-based lawyers who cannot charge you more than $25 for the first half hour of consultation. Click here for a reference available online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and limited hours by phone. MLAC funds organizations that help people solve civil (not criminal) legal problems. If you need help with a criminal matter, contact the Public Legal Services Committee at 617-482-6212. Provides free legal advice to asylum seekers and promotes the rights of detained immigrants. If you are not eligible for the HPRC, another legal aid program may be able to help you. These websites help you protect your rights in a variety of civil law matters.
And you might be able to get free legal help. Find a Covid Eviction Legal Help Program that serves your Massachusetts zip code For more financial or social assistance, visit the CPCS website, which has a list of social service resources, including links to financial assistance funds. You can also consult this list of self-help networks. This completely free interview is for Massachusetts tenants who are being evicted. It is estimated that it takes between 25 and 90 minutes before a typical tenant can use it alone. This will help you make sure that you respond correctly to your landlord`s eviction case. It can send you reminders of important appointments via SMS and email. It includes videos and educational links. By choosing to use this system, you agree to our Terms of Use.
★ Are you worried about eviction? ★ Are you having trouble paying your bills or debts? ★ Need help getting unemployment, SNAP or other government benefits? ★ Wondering if it`s safe to return to work? ★ Are you worried about your personal safety? Legal Answers Online is a free service for low-income Massachusetts residents who can`t afford an attorney. Go to www.masslao.org for free legal advice on volunteer non-criminal law programs. Provides free legal advice to victims of sexual assault on legal issues related to privacy, security, housing, education, employment, immigration, LGBTQ issues, criminal justice and financial stability. The Massachusetts Bar Association sponsors a monthly Dial-A-Lawyer program and encourages the public to call our helpline for free legal advice. To use Dial-A-Lawyer, call (617) 338-0610 or (877) 686-0711 on the first Wednesday of the month between 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm. There is no limit to the number of calls you can make or how often you call throughout the year. You don`t have to leave your home unless a judge orders you to. See COVID-19 and Housing and Evictions.
Where can I get help paying my rent? These sites are a collaboration of the Massachusetts civil legal aid community and are funded by MLAC. MassLegalHelp is served by lawyers at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute; Mass Legal Answers Online is administered by MLRI with assistance from the Boston Bar Association`s Volunteer Lawyers Project and is part of the American Bar Association`s national Free Legal Answers project. Volunteer lawyers, paralegals and law students, led by staff lawyers, strive to give residents of the Greater Boston Area equal access to representation. A lawyer can help you before a case goes to court and when your case goes to court. The sooner you contact a lawyer, the better. Massachusetts legal aid programs continue to assist their clients during the COVID-19 emergency. But offices may not be open to the public. If you need help, call or contact your local legal aid program online. Use the Mass Legal Resource Finder to find free or low-cost help from legal aid agencies that serve your city or community. Is deportation imminent? We can help Mass. Department of Housing and Community Development resources for tenants, landlords and landlords. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has resources for individuals and families struggling to make rent or mortgage payments due to COVID-19, including the Eviction Diversion Initiative.
See also: Emergency Housing Assistance During the COVID-19 Pandemic. This section focuses on legal issues related to COVID-19 that are of particular concern to low-income people in Massachusetts. For more information and assistance, please contact the legal aid organizations listed below. For more information about these MLAC-funded legal aid organizations, as well as other nonprofits, government agencies, and court programs that might be able to help you with your legal problem, visit the Legal Resource Finder. MLAC does not provide legal advice or representation. If you need help with a legal problem in Massachusetts, there are several ways to find it. Below you will find information on: You may be eligible for civil legal aid if your annual income is equal to or less than 125% of the federal poverty line. In Massachusetts, that`s currently $34,688 a year for a family of four. There are different criteria for seniors and victims of crime. In addition to regional legal aid organizations, MLAC funds legal aid organizations that specialize in a particular topic or type of law, including education, immigration, prisoners` rights, disability, consumer law, etc.
Get help with problems that need to be fixed with your home. Send a letter to your landlord, call an inspector or get help from a judge. The Volunteer Lawyers project can help owners of 2 or 3 family homes if: If your income is low enough, volunteer tax assistance agencies (VIA) can help you file your tax return. Harassment by debt collectors is prohibited, but they can legally try to collect what you owe. See Invoices and debts. Massachusetts Legal Answers Online is a free service that allows you to ask a question to a pro bono lawyer on the Internet. This is a good option if you have one or two legal questions. Massachusetts Legal Resource Finder provides recommendations for free, low-cost programs in legal aid organizations, nonprofits, courts, and self-help documents.
Mushwaalakbar v. Commonwealth, 487 Mass. 627 (2021) Returning to Commonwealth v. Lougee, the SJC acknowledges that, given the lingering effects of COVID-19, « some defendants are entitled to hearings on applications for review of section 58A orders to determine whether the length of detention violates due process. » Mass.gov COVID-19 Vaccination ProgramView the latest updates on the COVID-19 vaccine in Massachusetts, including immunization schedule, FAQs, and vaccine approval documents. See also COVID-19 booster FAQ. Contact the Volunteer Lawyers Project online, call them at 857-320-6452 or email [email protected]. Mass. Department of Housing and Community Development, Emergency Housing Assistance: (866) 584-0653 Southeastern part of the state: Bristol County and south coast to Cape Cod and the Islands. Companies cannot charge excessive prices for regular products and essential items such as masks, hand sanitizers, and gloves.
See Avoiding fraud. Mayor`s Health Line: (617) 534-5050, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo, 592 U.S. ____ (2021)The Supreme Court has granted requests by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and two Orthodox Jewish synagogues to block the enforcement of a New York City injunction restricting visits to places of worship. The COVID-19 Surveillance Dashboard (University of Virginia) advocates for children, students, and youth who face significant barriers due to economic status, disability, race, ethnicity/culture, immigration status, language, and/or traumatic life experiences. COVID-19 Economic Relief Bill, signed into law on December 27, 2020, provides life-saving assistance to Americans while ensuring federal agencies operate through September 2021. Includes amendments and extensions to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the Cares Act.
Commonwealth v. Nash and Commonwealth v. Elibert, 486 Mass. 394 (2020)Recently, in Christie v. Commonwealth, 484 Mass. 397, 401-402, « We (SJC) felt that the pandemic was a factor for judges to consider when deciding on suspension (sentencing) motions. In the cases before us, we provide further guidance on how this factor should be taken into account in practical terms. Vasquez Diaz v. Commonwealth, 487 Mass. 336 (2021) The SJC found that a virtual hearing is not in itself a violation of the respondent`s constitutional rights in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Commits to upholding and expanding the rights of persons with disabilities and others in isolated environments.
If you are already in court, ask the staff or judge how you can talk to a lawyer. Proof of COVID-related long-term disability claims, by Linda L. Landry, MCLE, 2021 Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Mass.govA resource that highlights some of the most frequently asked questions about COVID-19 in Massachusetts, including information about: the disease itself, testing, quarantine, mandatory masks, reopening, gathering restrictions, travel recommendations, and health resources. If your landlord sends you a notice, you don`t have to move! Information on the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak Massachusetts Department of Public Health The Commonwealth`s main COVID-19 information page.