Mass Laborers Legal Services is a comprehensive legal assistance program exclusively for union laborers and their eligible dependents, providing no-cost legal counsel for a wide array of personal and civil matters. As part of the Massachusetts Laborers’ Benefit Funds, it stands out by offering members up to three fully covered cases per year, along with a 24/7 multilingual answering service in English and Spanish for urgent legal support.
The program is designed to address the practical legal needs of working families, with a focus on accessibility and preventive guidance. It serves active union laborers from Massachusetts locals with at least 300 hours worked, or members from Maine, New Hampshire, or Vermont locals with 450 hours, along with their qualified dependents. Representation extends to matters such as domestic disputes, criminal hearings, real estate transactions, and consumer issues, though it excludes cases against union employers, personal injury, or workers’ compensation claims.
Services Offered
- Legal advice and consultation
- Drafting and review of legal documents
- Legal research
- Consumer transaction and debt representation
- Domestic relations (divorce, annulment, paternity, child support, visitation)
- Criminal matters (bail hearings, arraignments, trials, probation hearings)
- Vehicle and traffic matters (violations, license hearings)
- Real estate transactions for primary residence
- Will preparation, review, and updates
- Power of attorney and health care proxy services
- Probate of estates
- Landlord and tenant disputes (eviction, rent actions)
- Immigration applications for citizenship
- Claims against own insurance company
- Monetary claims assistance (insurance and property damage)
- Bankruptcy petitions (Chapter 7 and Chapter 13)
- Administrative matters (government agency hearings, benefit entitlements)
- Review of agreements for purchases or repairs
Services are available to eligible members and dependents across New England, with limited coverage for cases outside the region. The fund emphasizes confidentiality, member education, and support for routine legal preventive measures, though it does not cover filing fees, service of process fees, or appeals.
