Referrals

Below is a list of referrals that SCAS regularly uses depending upon the situation.

Harvard Mediation Program (Default Referral)

 * (617) 495-1854

Cambridge Consumers' Council

 * Serves Cambridge residents or businesses
 * Primarily consumer affairs
 * (617) 349-6150

Community Dispute Settlement Center

 * Serves Charlestown, Waltham, Woburn & Cambridge.
 * Mediation services available in the evenings.
 * Sliding scale fee
 * (617) 876-5376

Home Improvement Contractor Arbitration

 * Run by Office of Consumer Affairs
 * Request must be received no more than 24 months after contract was signed
 * Sliding scale fee
 * (617) 727-7755

State-Run Lemon Law Arbitration

 * Run by Office of Consumer Affairs
 * Request must be made within 18 months of purchase
 * (617) 727-7780

American Arbitration Association

 * (617) 451-6600

Boston Bar Layer Referral Service

 * (617) 742-0265

Mass Bar Lawyer Referral Service

 * (617) 654-0400
 * There is no cost to utilize LRS, but referrals are made to fee-charging attorneys, who may charge you no more than $25 for the initial half-hour consultation.

Worcester Lawyer Referral Service

 * (508) 752-1131
 * Lawyer referral service for Worcester County - (800) 622-9700

LARC (Legal Advocacy and Resource Center)(at GBLS)

 * Primary SCAS referral organization
 * Deals with Housing, Family Law, Public Benefits, Employment Issues and Consumer Issues
 * Does not deal with Criminal Law, Immigration Law, or out of state cases.
 * (617) 603-1700

GBLS (Greater Boston Legal Service)

 * Home to dozens of legal advocacy groups.
 * Primary SCAS referral - call switchboard, briefly explain situation, operator will transfer you to appropriate group.
 * (617) 371-1234 (switchboard)

MA Attorney General's Office Consumer Advocacy & Response Division (CARD)
This division of the Attorney General’s Office employs trained consumer specialists who can answer your questions assist you in resolving your dispute with a business.
 * (617) 727-8400 or
 * (888) 283-3737

If you would like CARD to assist you in resolving a dispute you are having with a business, you should fill out the Consumer Complaint Form.

To see if the business has a history of consumer complaints, you can search CARD's Database.

Better Business Bureau

 * (508) 652-4800 or
 * (800) 4-BBB-811

Executive Office for Consumer Affairs & Business Regulations

 * (617) 973-8700

Harvard Legal Aid Bureau (at Harvard Law School)

 * Provide free civil legal services to low-income residents of Suffolk and Middlesex counties.
 * Primarily civil law
 * (617) 495-4408

Cambridge/Somerville Legal Services (at GBLS)

 * Serves low-income citizens, especially immigrants
 * Conflict resolution and legal aid
 * (617) 494-1800 or
 * (617) 603-2700

Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation Website

 * Information about all types of MA laws with great tips on how to protect your legal rights.

NOLO

 * Primary SCAS referral for clients with internet access.
 * Website with info on everything citizens need to know to handle their own legal problems (small claims and other)

Legal Services Center (at Harvard Law School)

 * Deals with housing. Usually refer clients to LARC first.
 * (617) 522-3003

Western Mass Legal Service

 * Providing legal services to areas of Western Mass.
 * Housing family, disability, elderly government benefits
 * (413) 781-7814

Consumer Council of Worcester

 * Deals with consumer issues and mediation for Worcester area.
 * (508) 754-1176

Merrimack Valley Legal Services

 * Serves Merrimack Valley
 * Deals with family law, housing, income maintenance and elder law.
 * Lowell: (978) 458-1465
 * Andover/Lawrence: (978) 687-1177

Neighborhood Legal Services

 * Serves low-income residents of Essex County
 * Housing, family law, employment law, domestic violence, elder law
 * Website has list of lawyers for each MA county.
 * (781) 599-7730

Community Legal Services & Counseling Center

 * Legal Assistance, primarily for domestic violence issues, housing, disability benefits and immigration.
 * (617) 661-1010

Division of Banks

 * Call if problems with collection agencies.
 * (617) 956-1500 ext. 501
 * (800) 495-2265 ext. 501(in state only, toll-free)

Equifax

 * One of three major credit reporting companies.
 * 2 others below -must call all 3 for credit reports
 * (800) 685-1111

Experian

 * 2nd major credit reporting agency
 * (888) 397-3742

Trans Union

 * 3rd major credit reporting agency
 * (800) 916-8800

Consumer Credit Counseling

 * Credit Counselors for debt, credit & housing
 * (617) 426-6644

Federal Trade Commission

 * Regulates all credit rating agencies
 * Will address consumer complaints
 * 1-877-382-4357

US Bankruptcy Court

 * Boston: (617) 565-8950
 * Worcester: (508) 770-8900

Board of Health

 * Is in each town
 * Inspects tenants' presmises for habitability violations.
 * Website has phone numbers for each town's department and board

Fair Housing Hub

 * Housing discrimination
 * (617) 994-8300 or
 * (800) 827-5005

Tenant Advocacy Project (at Harvard Law School)

 * (617) 495-4394

Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership

 * (617) 859-0400

Inspectional Services Department (ISD)

 * Do homeinspections for suspected violations of the State Sanitary Code, including no heat. Can write up violations and summon landlord to court.
 * (617) 635-5322

City Life/Vida Urbana

 * http://www.clvu.org/renters

MA Division of Corporations

 * For the legal name of a corporation
 * (617) 727-9640

Town Clerk's Office

 * To see if there is a certificate for business.

Licensing Agency

 * If the business requires a license to operate, their address etc. can be found through the agency.

Transportation Division of the Department of Telecom & Energy

 * In state moving rates and overcharging
 * (617) 305-3559

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

 * Moving company problems across state lines
 * (617) 494-2770

Consumer Division of MA Telecommunication & Energy

 * (617) 305-3531

ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)

 * Handles civil liberties cases
 * Pro-bono representation for nationally important cases
 * (617) 482-3170

Committee for Public Council Services

 * (617) 482-6212

Lawyershop

 * Links to legal organizations and lawyers all over the US
 * Links provide contact info and general legal info

Homeowners Rehab, Inc.

 * Provides low-income loans to Cambridge residents
 * (617) 868-4858

Family Help Desk

 * PBH Program at Boston Medical Center
 * Helps with food stamps, public assistance, childcare, housing
 * (617) 414-4349

The Cambridge Multi-Service Center for the Homeless

 * Offers a broad range of services to persons who have lost or are at risk of losing their housing
 * (617) 349-6340