Referrals

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

Mediation/Arbitration

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

Lawyer Referral Services

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)

Other Small Claims Referrals

MA Attorney General's Office Consumer Advocacy & Response Division (CARD)

(617) 727-8400 or
(888) 283-3737

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.

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)

General Legal Help

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

Credit/Debt

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

Collections

Collections Information Online

Housing/Landlord-Tenant

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

Finding a Business

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.

Moving and Storage

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

Utilities

Consumer Division of MA Telecommunication & Energy

(617) 305-3531

Miscellaneous Referrals

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