Ensuring individuals have a right to effective counsel when facing the loss of their basic human needs in the civil legal system.

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Right to counsel

Massachusetts , Legislation , Abuse/Neglect/Dependency - Accused Parents , Termination of Parental Rights (State) - Birth Parents

Indigent parents have a right to counsel “Whenever the department or a licensed child placement agency is a party to child custody proceedings”, and they must be informed of this right. M.G.L. ch. 119, § 29. Such hearings include proceedings in which a court is appointing a guardian for a minor. See M.G.L. ch. 119, § 29 (pointing to M.G.L. ch. 190B, §§ 5-201, 5-204 and 5-206).

Appointment of Counsel: Yes
Qualified: No
? If "yes", the established right to counsel or discretionary appointment of counsel is limited in some way, including any of: the only authority is a lower/intermediate court decision or a city council, not a high court or state legislature; there has been a subsequent case that has cast doubt; a statute is ambiguous; or the right or discretionary appointment is not for all types of individuals or proceedings within that category.
© 2003-2024 National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel

The NCCRC works to advance the right to counsel for low-income people in civil cases involving basic human needs, such as housing, health, domestic violence, civil incarceration, and child custody.

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