If you and the school resolve your complaint in the resolution meeting, you will both sign a settlement agreement.
This is a statement of everything you agreed to in the meeting.
You must read the agreement carefully.
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Some agreements will go into effect immediately.
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Others might say you and the school have a couple of days to change the agreement before it becomes official.
You should always have an attorney review your settlement agreement.
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The legal language can be confusing and you want to make sure you don't waive any of your rights.
Click the box below to learn more:
You may need to find a lawyer to help you resolve your dispute.
It’s best to find one who has lots of experience with special education laws and regulations.
Choose a lawyer who lists one of these as their specialty:
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Special Education
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Education Law
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Advocacy
Be sure to ask in advance about fees. Fees will vary based on each lawyer's experience and how complex the case is.
The organizations below can help you find a lawyer. If you are low-income, ask about free legal help.
Children's Law Center of Massachusetts
P.O. Box 710
298 Union Street
Lynn, MA 01902
Phone: (781) 581-1977; (888) 543-5298
Email: info@clcm.org
Web: www.clcm.org
Disability Law Center, Inc.
11 Beacon Street, Suite 925
Boston, MA 02108
Phone: (617) 723-8455; (800) 872-9992; (617) 227-9464 (TTY); (800) 381-0577 (TTY)
Email: mail@dlc-ma.org
Web:www.dlc-ma.org
Greater Boston Legal Services
197 Friend St
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: (617) 371-1234
Web: www.gbls.org
Massachusetts Advocates for Children
25 Kingston Street, Second Floor
Boston, MA 02111
Phone: 617-357-8431 ext. 3224
Web: www.massadvocates.org/helpline/
Special Needs Advocacy Network, Inc.
P.O. Box 509
North Attleboro, MA 02761
Phone: (508) 655-7999, 617-388-3638
Email: info@spanmass.org
Web: www.spanmass.org
The Bureau of Special Education Appeals (BSEA) also maintains a list of legal resources by region here: Directory of Legal Services.
Notes about legal fees:
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You must pay your own legal fees, unless the court decides otherwise
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If you win your hearing decision, sometimes the court will decide that the school district should pay your lawyer's fees
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In turn, if the court decides your complaint was not valid, you may be ordered to pay the school district's legal fees
Your lawyer can help you understand how these would apply to your specific case.
Source: MA DESE
Source: MA DESE