Exhibit 5



         (LETTERHEAD OF DOHERTY, WALLACE, PILLSBURY AND MURPHY, P.C.)



February 26, 2003

Westbank Corporation
225 Park Avenue
West Springfield, MA 01089

RE: Registration Statement on Form S-3

Ladies and Gentlemen:

      In connection with the registration on Form S-3 under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), of 500,000 shares (the "Shares") of
common stock, par value $2.00 per share, of Westbank Corporation (the "Company")
reserved for issuance pursuant to the Company's Dividend Reinvestment and Common
Stock Purchase Plan (the "Plan"), we have examined such corporate documents and
records of the Company, such other instruments and certificates of public
officials, officers and representatives of the Company and other persons and
such questions of law as we have deemed necessary or appropriate in order to
render the opinion set forth herein.

      In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures,
the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity
to original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies and the
authenticity of the originals of such copies.

      As to questions of fact material to our opinion expressed below that we
did not independently establish, we have relied upon certifications of the
Company or its officers.

      Based upon and subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that when
the registration statement on Form S-3 relating to the Shares (the "Registration
Statement") shall have become effective under the Securities Act and any Shares
shall have been duly issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of the
Plan, such Shares will be legally issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

      The foregoing opinion is limited to the Federal Laws of the United States
and the Business Corporation Law of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. We are
expressing no opinion as to the effect of the laws of any other jurisdiction.

      We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and any amendments thereto. In giving such consent, we do
not hereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is
required under Section 7 of the Securities Act.

Very truly yours,


/s/ Doherty, Wallace, Pillsbury and Murphy, P.C.