Where We Serve   Free Housing Services   For-Fee Housing Services  
Non-Housing Services  Training & Facilitation   General Payment Info  

Are you in a hurry or don't feel like working to figure out what is free and what is not?  No problem!  Contact Us  now and we will be happy to help.

Where we Serve

MFR’s main service area includes these cities: Cambridge, Somerville, Malden Arlington, Chelsea, Boston, Everett, Revere, Medford, Wakefield, Melrose, Burlington, North Reading, Reading, Stoneham, Winchester and Woburn.

In addition, MFR is a court-approved mediation program in Malden and Woburn District Courts. 

We provide services throughout Massachusetts and offer specific services throughout New England and nationally. Please call Peter Shapiro, Program Director, at 617 494-0444 Ex. 317 for more information.

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Free Housing Services

We provide FREE services for low to moderate income tenants. Thanks to Our Funders we provide these services to individuals and related associations to enable them to maintain housing.

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For-Fee Housing Services

For tenants, landlords and property managers, cooperative and condominium boards who do not qualify for free services, we charge professional fees that can be reduced based on income guidelines. Let us know if you wish to be considered for a fee less than the high-end of our range.

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For Fee Non-Housing Services

FREE Consultation
MFR can provide an initial, free consultation session for prospective clients seeking services listed below. This consultation is a chance for you to learn how our services work and to answer any questions you have. MFR staff can help you to assess which service is best for you.

Affordable Fee-Based Services
We want our services to be affordable to all our clients. Our fee structure is listed below and, in general, it is below that charged by many Boston area providers. Our goal is to provide professional mediation and other services to people from all economic backgrounds. We do not deny services due to financial hardship so Contact Us  if MFR’s fees present a problem for you and we will discuss how our sliding scale may apply to your situation.

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Training and Facilitation Fees and Conditions

Fees: Fees for training and facilitation are negotiated on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us for details. Because our goal is to provide access to quality services that are affordable to all, in most cases our fees are lower than market rates for the Boston area.

Deposits: For training and facilitation, a deposit of 50% of the professional fee is required to hold the date. The balance is due and payable within two weeks after the event or training.

Cancellations/Rescheduling: (For Training and Facilitation)  If you need to cancel, you must provide written notice at least two weeks before the scheduled event for a full or partial refund to be considered. Also the cause for a cancellation must be serious. We reserve the right to retain all of the 50% deposit when these requirements are not met. In some cases, we may be able to negotiate the provision of future services to you in lieu of retaining the deposit.

Training programs normally require significant preparation beforehand, and many costs are incurred before the scheduled event. In addition, a canceled or rescheduled event presents a real challenge for reassigning the scheduled work hours and can result in lost work and/or income.

Travel
The costs of travel are added to all fees when appropriate and agreed to in advance with our clients

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General Payment Information and Conditions

1. Shared Fees: In mediation fees are shared equally by the parties, unless agreed otherwise.

2. Time of Payment: Payment is expected immediately at the conclusion of a mediation session or other service. (In some cases, we negotiate contracts for training and facilitation that stipulate other payment arrangements).

3. Forms of Payment: Fees can be paid in cash, personal check or bankers' check. Unfortunately, we do not process credit card payments at this time. Checks should be made payable to: Just-A-Start Corp. Please contact us if you need our Federal Identification Number.

4. Travel time: Travel time for a mediation scheduled outside Greater Boston* is invoiced at ½ the hourly rate. (*Greater Boston is considered to be the region inside Rte 128 /95).

5. Cancellations: (mediation) If you need to cancel or reschedule a mediation session let us know immediately. In cases where a cancellation is not received, or received less than 24 hours before the session, a cancellation fee (calculated for a 2 hour time block) applies to the canceling party/parties. We will do our best to reschedule when possible but cannot guarantee that another suitable time slot will be readily available.

6. Tax Deductible: In some cases it may be possible for you to claim payment of our fees as a business expense or donation to a non-profit organization. We are happy to provide receipts or documentation as appropriate.

7. Sliding Scale Fees: Parties will be charged MFR’s standard fees unless they notify us beforehand that they want their fees to be assessed according to their Annual Gross Income. To facilitate this we will request specific proof of income before determining your range of payment.

8. Questions? Contact Us at (617) 494-0444 Ext. 317.

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