Peter Gately grew up in Natick, Massachusetts, the youngest of seven in a semi-rural environment. After receiving a bachelor’s degree at the University of Massachusetts Boston, his interest in history and law led him to acquire a Juris Doctor at Suffolk University Law School.
After passing the bar, Peter volunteered with an agency in Cambridge that provided behavioral health counseling and legal aid to the community. It was his first introduction to child welfare law and inspired him to pursue a career in child and family services. For nine years, Peter served as Regional Counsel for the Massachusetts Department of Social Services (now known as the Department of Children and Families), supervising a staff of fifteen attorneys across three counties.
In addition to his work for the Commonwealth, Peter has worked as a solo practitioner for 42 years, specializing in divorce, criminal, and mental health law. He has appeared before both the Massachusetts Appellate and Supreme Judicial Courts.
As he approaches retirement, Peter continues to represent children and parents in Juvenile and Probate Courts, and he looks forward to stepping into the lives of others and helping them through difficult times.
As an Access to Justice Fellow, Peter will partner with the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers, an organization that works on behalf of Brazilian, Cabo Verdean, Portuguese and other Portuguese-speaking communities in Massachusetts to increase access and remove barriers to health, education and social services through direct services, advocacy, leadership, and community development.