LABORERS’ LEGAL SERVICES FUND

Our Legal Services Fund can help Laborers with a broad array of legal issues, including buying a home, representation in criminal matters, probating estates, addressing domestic disputes, and more.

We offer legal counsel without charge for up to 3 qualifying cases per year. Plus, our legal service answering service is available to Laborers 24/7, in both English and Spanish.

Learn more about what our Fund can do for you by reading more below.

BENEFITS

Our Services

Our Legal Services team is available to help with a variety of legal issues and services.

General Services – Advice and consultation, drafting and review of legal documents, and legal research.

Consumer Transaction and Debt – Representation in claims and lawsuits arising from a member’s consumer transactions for the purchase or sale of personal goods and services.

Domestic Relations – Representation in divorce or annulment proceedings, paternity, child support and visitation. Note: representation in divorce or other adversarial proceedings will be available to the union member only.

Criminal Matters – Includes bail hearings, probation surrender hearings, probation probable cause hearings, clerk’s hearings, arraignments, juvenile matters, pre-trial conferences and hearings, motion hearings, and bench and jury trials in both misdemeanors and felonies.

Vehicle and Traffic Matters – Traffic violations and hearings and appeals involving loss of driver’s license.

Real Estate Transactions – Representation for the purchase or sale of your primary residence.

Wills and Related Documents – Will preparation or review and update of an existing will, as well as power of attorney or health care proxy services.

Probate – Representation in probating an estate in cases where the member, spouse, or other eligible family member has died.

Landlord and Tenant – Representation of a member in an action brought in District or Housing Courts by the landlord for rent, eviction, or other proceedings involving your primary residence.

Immigration – Representation for the member or eligible dependent in applications for citizenship.

Claims Against Own Insurance Company – Representation for claims arising out of delays or failing to pay you pursuant to your own insurance contract (auto, homeowners or residence insurance policy).

Monetary Claims – Insurance claims assistance and plaintiff property damage claims.

Bankruptcy – Representation in the preparation of Voluntary and Involuntary Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 petitions.

Administrative Matters – The Plan will advise and counsel you on securing your rights and benefit entitlements from government agencies such as the Department of Children and Families, as well as represent you in hearings before those agencies.

Please note that we may not provide services in any matter we believe to be frivolous or without substantial merit.

Eligibility

Any union member of a Massachusetts local who has worked at least 300 hours or members of a Maine, New Hampshire, or Vermont local who have worked 450 hours is eligible for legal services.

Eligible dependents include:

  • A spouse, not legally separated and residing with the member
  • Unmarried children (including an adopted child, stepchild or foster child) under the age of 19 or, if a full-time student, under the age of 23
  • Unmarried children under the age of 30 who are totally disabled, depend on your support and live with you

For more information on your benefits, please download the Legal Services Fund’s Summary Plan Description.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For complete details on any of the following topics, please review the Summary Plan Description.

Yes. Your spouse can obtain legal services if you are legally married and your spouse lives with you, provided the action is not against you (the member) and the matter is a covered service.

Your case information and whatever you discuss with your lawyer will be held in strict confidence.

In the event your eligibility ends while a case is pending, the case will be carried to its conclusion subject to the limitations in the Plan.

No. Representation in divorce will be available to the union member only.

No. Representation for the purchase or sale of real estate is for your primary residence only.

Yes. Representation includes the preparation of or a review and update of an existing will, as well as preparation of a power of attorney or health care proxy.

Yes. Legal services for yourself or an eligible dependent outside of New England will be covered up to a maximum of $500.

Yes. Your dependents are eligible as long as your eligibility continues and their services do not conflict with your interests. The plan covers an unmarried child (including an adopted child, stepchild or foster child) under the age of 19 or, if the child is a full-time student under the age of 23.

Yes, if you are substituted for or added to the Petition for Probate as Personal Representation.

No. The Fund does not post bail for members.

Yes. The Legal Services Fund has a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week answering service that can reach a staff attorney in case of an emergency.

No. Such actions are specifically prohibited.

No. Workers’ Compensation is specifically excluded.

No. A claim for personal injury is specifically excluded.

You are allowed three cases per calendar year with unlimited legal advice regarding covered services. Check the Member Dashboard to confirm your eligibility.

Members who have had more than 10 days notice of a court date, but require legal services with less than four days notice to our office will be provided with representation only if an attorney is available on the hearing date.

The Legal Services Fund is a benefit provided to eligible Union members and their eligible dependents at no charge for legal fees. Out of pocket expenses are the responsibility of the client.

No. Filing fees and service of process fees are paid for by the member.

If you previously received representation from another attorney in a matter which commenced prior to you becoming eligible for services, the Plan will not represent you.

At this time the benefit does not provide legal services to retirees, unless you are a member of a Massachusetts local with  300 current working hours. However, our office may provide a Will, Power of Attorney and Health Care Proxy if you are eligible under the Retiree Council benefit plan.

Yes. The Fund stresses the importance of reviewing such matters to prevent problems.

Appeals are not covered. No appeal will be taken from a decision of a court of administrative agency.