Hines Law Offices

Focus and practice areas

Hines Law Offices handles personal bankruptcy for individuals and families in Massachusetts. The work centers on Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 filings. That narrow scope tells you what to expect: a firm built around one area of law rather than a general practice that lists bankruptcy among many services.

Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 answer different problems. Chapter 7 clears qualifying unsecured debt through liquidation. Chapter 13 sets up a court-approved repayment plan over time. The firm works with both, which matters because the right path depends on income, assets and what a client is trying to keep.

The firm describes helping people who face foreclosure, wage garnishment, vehicle repossession and creditor harassment. It also names medical bills and credit card debt as common reasons clients come in. In my opinion, listing those specific pressures is more useful to a worried reader than a general promise about debt relief, because it names the exact situations the firm handles.

Who runs the firm

Holly Hines founded the firm in 2005. She earned a B.A. from Anna Maria College and studied at the Massachusetts School of Law. Her stated focus is Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases, which lines up with the firm's overall direction.

George N. Piandes joined as Of Counsel in 2016. He graduated from Stonehill College in 1995 and the Massachusetts School of Law in 1998, and was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar the same year. Before the current arrangement, he opened the Law Office of George N. Piandes in 2001, working in real estate and bankruptcy law. He is a member of the Worcester Bar Association.

Piandes is licensed to practice in Massachusetts and before the Federal District Court for the District of Massachusetts. That federal admission is relevant here, since bankruptcy cases are filed and heard in federal court. His background in real estate law also connects to the foreclosure situations the firm mentions, where property questions and debt questions often overlap.

What the pairing suggests

Two attorneys with overlapping bankruptcy experience gives the firm continuity in a single field. Hines has run the practice since 2005. Piandes brings a second track record that started in 2001. As a reviewer, I read that as depth in one lane, which is often what people want when the matter is their own finances.

Where the firm works

The firm is based in Framingham and serves clients across Middlesex County and Worcester County. It names communities that include Framingham, Watertown, Westborough, Worcester and Leominster, along with surrounding towns.

Beyond the main Framingham office, the firm lists additional locations in Leominster, Westborough, Worcester and Watertown. For someone dealing with a bankruptcy filing, having several places to meet across two counties can cut down travel at a stressful time. It also signals that the firm covers a defined region rather than trying to reach the whole state.

How the firm handles new clients

The firm states that it offers free initial consultations. It also says it schedules appointments in the evenings and on weekends. Those two details tend to matter to the people bankruptcy law serves, many of whom work fixed hours and cannot take time off easily.

A free first meeting lets someone learn whether Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 fits before committing to anything. Evening and weekend availability opens the door to clients who would otherwise struggle to get in. In my opinion, both choices fit a debt-focused practice, where the first step is often just getting an honest read on the options.

What the record shows

The public picture of Hines Law Offices is consistent. One founding attorney since 2005, one Of Counsel attorney since 2016, and a steady focus on personal bankruptcy across two Massachusetts counties. The firm does not spread itself across unrelated practice areas, and that focus is easy to verify from its own pages.

For a reader weighing a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 filing in the Framingham, Worcester or Watertown area, the firm presents clear, checkable facts: named attorneys with stated credentials, a defined service region, and specific debt situations it handles. Holly Hines has led the firm for two decades, and the bankruptcy focus has held that whole time.