Legal aid advocates face budget cuts

BOSTON, Mass. (WWLP/AP) - State legal aid programs are laying off lawyers and cutting office hours as they deal with a dramatic drop in funds. 

Both state and federal revenue sources have shrunk.

Officials with the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation, which administers most of the funding for the state's legal aid programs, tell The Boston Globe that tens of thousands of people who would normally qualify for free assistance this year will not get it.  Locally, Western Mass Legal Services has faced a nearly 50% cut in funding for the past year.

Legal aid services are available to low-income people in noncriminal cases including home foreclosure, wage disputes, health care, and domestic violence.

At Massachusetts Justice Project in Holyoke, they have seen a 40% increase in demand for services  since the beginning of this year.  According to Gordon Shaw, managing attorney at Mass Justice Project, they  partner with Western Mass Legal Services by referring clients.   Because of cutbacks, WMLS has had to drastically reduce the number of referrals they can accept.

"We've seen an increase in calls for assistance involving tenants who are in foreclosed buildings who are now being evicted, we've seen an incredible spike in the amount of people looking for help with unemployment cases that have been denied.  We've also seen a spike in foreclosures," commented Shaw.

The Mass Justice Project does not provide attorneys but helps educate clients about their legal rights and options.  They are federally funded.  Shaw says his office receives nearly 150 calls a day and over 10,000 a year. 

If you or someone you know needs noncriminal legal assistance contact the Massachusetts Justice Project to find out about qualifying for programs.  They are located at 57 Suffolk Street, Holyoke.

For more information call 413-533-2660 or toll free 800-639-1209.