Legal Issues

Greater Boston Legal Services main office is located in downtown Boston. We also have a number of intake sites located in communities where our clients live and work. See Services Locations for a list of our intake locations and hours.

Learn who to call and where to get help anywhere in Massachusetts

Below is a list of our priority legal areas and the range of services our attorneys and advocates can help with:

Elder Support

  • Housing/tenant rights
  • Nursing home issues
  • Defense against guardianship and conservatorship
  • Health benefits such as Medicaid and Medicare
  • Social Security and SSI
  • Veterans’ benefits
  • Food stamps

Employment Support

  • Wages (nonpayment, minimum wage, overtime)
  • Income during periods of joblessness
  • Access to job training
  • Access to tax credits and tax advice
  • Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI)
  • Public Policy Campaigns for Paid Sick Days, Temporary Worker Rights, Parental Leave, Unemployment

Family Support

  • Restraining orders (for abuse survivors and their children)
  • Safety planning for abuse prevention
  • Divorce
  • Custody and/or safe visitation orders
  • Paternity
  • Child support

Disability Support

  • Access to benefits
  • Health care (including Medicaid or other public insurance programs) and transportation
  • Getting or keeping Social Security or SSI disability benefits

Housing Support

  • Home foreclosures
  • Predatory loan practices
  • Bankruptcy/debt relief
  • Unfair sales practices
  • Federal Subsidized Housing/Section 8
  • Evictions
  • Emergency Shelter and Transitional Housing
  • Rent Issues

Immigration Support

  • Asylum and/or safe haven
  • Protection for survivors of domestic abuse, sexual assault and other crimes
  • Documentation
  • Family reunification
  • Humanitarian protection
  • Protection from removal

Representation regarding DTA, cash benefits, Food Stamps and more:

  • TAFDC cash benefits for families with children and pregnant women
  • EAEDC cash benefits for individuals with disabilities, elders, caretakers living with a disabled individual, and some families who can get TAFDC
  • Food Stamps (SNAP)
  • Child Care benefits for TAFDC recipeints and others
  • Help with benefits including barriers to applying, denial of applications, reductions and termination of benefits, assuring correct amount of benefits, sanctioning and other penalties that affect benefits
  • Right to pursue education and training while receiving TAFDC, and access to programs
  • Transportation benefits for TAFDC recipients and former recipients
  • Immigrant eligibility advice and representation
  • Assistance for limited English projicient individuals dealing with DTA and various child care agencies, and the Child Support Enforcement branch of DOR
  • Child support issues for TAFDC recipients and former recipients
  • Exemptions from the TAFDC time limit and work requirement