Rental Property Management Services v. Hatcher, 97 N.E.3d 319 (2018)

Citation: Rental Property Management Services v. Hatcher, 97 N.E.3d 319 (2018)
Parent Document: Rental Property Management Services v. Hatcher, 97 N.E.3d 319 (2018)
Jurisdiction: Massachusetts (state)
Effective Date: 2018-05-15
Original Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/4498231/rental-property-management-serv... ↗

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8 We also recognize that nonattorneys may assist litigants
in various ways without engaging in the unauthorized practice of
law. Paralegals who are not attorneys may, with appropriate
supervision, assist attorneys who themselves provide legal
advice. See Mass. R. Prof. C. 5.5 comment 2, as appearing in
471 Mass. 1452 (2015). Nonattorneys may provide information to
self-represented litigants to help them understand their legal
rights. They may also assist self-represented litigants in
articulating the facts that are necessary to present the
litigants' claims and defenses clearly, accurately, and
comprehensively. And they may help self-represented litigants
navigate through a legal system the litigants may not adequately
understand. For instance, in the SAFEPLAN advocacy program
established by the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance,
nonattorneys help victims of domestic and sexual violence by
informing them of their legal rights and options in civil and
criminal court proceedings and assisting them in completing the
requisite forms and applications. See Massachusetts Office for
Victim Assistance, Frequently Asked Questions About SAFEPLAN,
http://www.mass.gov/mova/safeplan/faqs [https://perma.cc/8RN3-
3MAB]. They may not provide legal advice, but they may provide
a referral to an attorney where one is needed. Id.

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