Small Claims forms have been translated in 7 additional languages (Chinese, Haitian Creole, Khmer, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese) and posted to the District Court's Small Claims website Also available in the 7 additional languages is a brochure about Small Claims Court, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) About Small Claims, and Instructions for Filing a Small Claims case. (The Small Claims Rules and the Small Claims Standards are not translated.)
The website also includes a Multilingual Notice which, at the top of the page, notifies litigants that "You have a right to an interpreter, free of charge, for all court events. If you require an interpreter, please let the court staff know." Mass. General Laws c.221C (enacted in 1986) established the Trial Court's Office of Court Interpreter Services ("OCIS") and established the rights of litigants to have an interpreter provided in civil and criminal cases. Some litigants remain unaware that these services are available in all civil matters free of charge.
