Justice Atlas

Free Legal Aid in Massachusetts

4 LSC-funded civil legal-aid providers serve Massachusetts with $8,292,014 in federal legal-aid funding (FY2025) — per the Legal Services Corporation Basic Field Grant Allocation data.

Last updated: June 21, 2026 · Source: LSC Basic Field Grant Allocation (FY2025)

4
LSC-funded providers
$8,292,014
Federal allocation (FY2025)
699,243
Poverty population served
This page is a reference directory of which LSC-funded providers operate in Massachusetts. It informs and routes to free civil legal help. It does not give legal advice, represent clients, or predict case outcomes. To get help, contact the providers listed below or use lsc.gov/find-legal-aid or lawhelp.org.

Where do I get free legal aid in Massachusetts?

4 LSC-funded civil legal-aid providers receive federal Legal Services Corporation funding to serve income-eligible residents of Massachusetts. The primary program type is Basic Field (4 providers). All listed organizations offer free or reduced-cost civil legal help. Eligibility is typically set at 125% of the federal poverty level.

Program type Providers Share
Basic Field 4 100%

Source: LSC Basic Field Grant Allocation, FY2025.

Which organizations provide free legal aid in Massachusetts?

The following public legal-aid organizations are LSC-funded grantees serving Massachusetts. Contact them directly for intake. This list routes to them — it does not constitute legal representation.

Organization Program type Service area Allocation (FY2025)
Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association Basic Field MA-11 $2,978,618
Community Legal Aid, Inc. Basic Field MA-10 $2,498,686
South Coastal Counties Legal Services Basic Field MA-12 $1,579,769
Northeast Legal Aid, Inc. Basic Field MA-4 $1,234,941

Source: LSC Basic Field Grant Allocation, FY2025. Provider names are public LSC grantees.

How much federal funding does Massachusetts receive for legal aid?

LSC-funded providers in Massachusetts received $8,292,014 in total federal legal-aid grant funding in FY2025, serving a poverty population of approximately 699,243 residents eligible for LSC-funded services.

Sources & provenance

Every figure on this page comes from the Legal Services Corporation Basic Field Grant Allocation (source id src:lsc:basic-field-grant-allocation:2026), FY2025, published by the Legal Services Corporation: lsc.gov/grants-grantee-resources/our-grant-programs/basic-field-grants.

Provider names listed are public LSC grantees. Allocation figures are FY2025 federal grant amounts. Poverty population figures reflect LSC-defined service areas and are omitted where not reported.

Data exported June 21, 2026 · content hash f299152494aeb5d3 · machine-readable brief: /justice/states/ma.context.md

Get help now: Use lsc.gov/find-legal-aid or lawhelp.org to find a legal aid provider in your area and begin the intake process. This page does not provide legal advice or representation.

Recorded · Civil statute of limitations

How long you have to file a civil claim in Massachusetts

Read this before the table — it matters more than the numbers.

These are the statutes as written. They are not your deadline. When the clock starts (the “accrual” date) and whether it pauses (tolling, the discovery rule, a minor or incapacity) depends on the specific facts of your situation — and a missed deadline can permanently and irreversibly bar your claim. If you think you may have a claim, do not rely on this page to calculate your time: talk to a licensed attorney in Massachusetts right away. This atlas informs and routes; it is not legal advice and not a lawyer.

Massachusetts sets a statute of limitations for each kind of civil claim — the window, counted from when the claim accrues, within which a lawsuit must be filed. Below are 9 common civil claim types (the shortest is 3 years), shortest deadline first.

Claim type Time limit Statute
Defamation (libel / slander)
3 years
Fraudulent-concealment tolling possible in rare cases.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 4
Fraud
3 years
discovery rule
Fraudulent concealment tolls under § 12.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2A
Medical malpractice
3 years; max 7 years (repose)
discovery rule repose 7 years
Foreign-object exception to the 7-year repose; tolling for minors under age 6.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 4
Personal injury
3 years
discovery rule
Tolling for minors under § 7 and incapacity.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2A
Product liability
3 years
discovery rule
Express-warranty claims governed by UCC 4-year limit (§ 2-318).
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2A
Property damage
3 years
discovery rule
Standard tolling rules apply.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2A
Wrongful death
3 years from death or discovery
discovery rule
Underlying claim must have been timely as of death (Fabiano rule).
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 229, § 2
Contract oral
6 years
UCC 4-year limit governs sales of goods.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2
Contract written
6 years
Sales of goods under UCC subject to 4-year limit.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2

What these figures are

  • RECORDED — each period and statute citation is the statute as written; verify it at the linked official code. Last verified 2026-04-29.
  • NOT YOUR DEADLINE — accrual, tolling, the discovery rule, and exceptions make your actual deadline fact-specific. Only a licensed attorney can tell you your date.

Find help: free civil legal-aid in Massachusetts · ABA lawyer referral · source: CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026)

Massachusetts across the Atlas Commons

The same state, in the other source-backed Atlas Commons domains.