Not a tip sheet — a complete, attorney-signed packet built for your case. Everything a lawyer would prepare, organized for the first court event and ready for trial. Pick your side below.
Built to meet the answer deadline, raise every defense, and turn the landlord's own mistakes into leverage.
A tenant who walks in with documented Sanitary Code violations and a security-deposit counterclaim isn't just defending — they may be owed money. A defective Notice to Quit can dismiss the case outright. The difference is having the paperwork filed correctly, on time.
Built so a defective notice or a wrong entry date doesn't dismiss your case and cost you weeks of rent.
The two most common reasons a landlord's case gets thrown out are a defective Notice to Quit and a mistimed entry date — and each one means starting over while the rent keeps not coming in. A clean file also kills the tenant counterclaims that turn an eviction into a payout.
These are illustrative sample pages — names and case details redacted. Your real packet is drafted to your facts, formatted for the court, and signed by the attorney.
First Defense. The Notice to Quit is defective in that it miscounts the 14-day period…
Counterclaim I — Habitability. …
When your case is called:
"Good morning, Your Honor. My name is ___, the defendant, appearing pro se."
At mediation, say:
"I've filed an Answer raising habitability and deposit counterclaims and served discovery…"
If pushed to agree today:
Ex. A — Lease dated 06/01/24
Ex. B — Rent ledger (12 mo.)
Ex. C — Board of Health inspection, 3 violations
Ex. D — Photographs (9)
Ex. E — Security-deposit receipt & bank notice
Ex. F — Certified-mail receipts
Three labeled copies — court, opposing party, you.
Sample pages for illustration only. Not legal advice. Your packet is prepared for your case and signed by a licensed MA attorney.
Going in unprepared is risky. Hiring a private attorney for the whole case is expensive. The packet gives you a lawyer's work product — at a fraction of the cost.
| Do it yourself | Our packet — $149 | Hire a private attorney | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Documents drafted to your case | ✗ You're on your own | ✓ Built from your facts | ✓ Yes |
| Reviewed & signed by a licensed MA attorney | ✗ | ✓ Every page | ✓ Yes |
| Deadlines & entry-date calendar mapped | ✗ Easy to miss | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mediation & hearing script | ✗ | ✓ | Varies |
| Turnaround | Immediate, but unguided | 24–48 hrs (weekdays) | Days–weeks to retain |
| Typical cost | $0 | $149 | $3,000–$10,000+ |
Private-attorney fee ranges are general estimates and vary by case and counsel. No outcome is guaranteed in any path.
A licensed Massachusetts attorney, Patrick Donovan, Esq., reviews and signs every paid packet — tenant or landlord. That review is what turns the AI's draft into legal advice prepared for your case. No outcome is guaranteed.