Are You Living With or Affected by HIV or AIDS? You May be Eligible for Free Legal Services
- Were you denied Social Security benefits?
- Do you have bills you cannot pay?
- Are you being evicted from your home?
- Are you interested in planning for your future health care needs and decision-making?
- Do you wish to prepare a will or leave plans for your family upon your passing?
- Have you experienced discrimination because of your HIV status?
- Do you have another non-criminal legal problem for which you need assistance?
The HIV/AIDS Law Consortium May be Able to Help
The HIV/AIDS Law Consortium (HALC) is a collaboration between the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York (LASNNY), The Justice Center at Albany Law School, and the Albany Damien Center. HALC was started in 2005 to provide free legal and supportive services to people in our communities who have been impacted by HIV/AIDS. Our clients include individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS, parents living with HIV/AIDS, as well as children living with or affected by HIV/AIDS and their guardians and caregivers. The LASNNY HALC attorney and The Justice Center may be able to provide advice, brief service, extended representation, and referrals. The service provided will depend on the individual circumstances of each case. The Albany Damien Center offers supportive services to families.
FREE, CONFIDENTIAL LEGAL SERVICES
If you are living with or affected by HIV/AIDS, then you may be eligible for FREE and CONFIDENTIAL legal services through HALC. FREE: You will never be charged a fee for our services. However, you may have to pay court costs and filing fees, depending on your income and the individual circumstances of your case. CONFIDENTIAL: The information that you tell HALC is confidential. The information is not disclosed to others without your permission.
We can help
- Social Security: denials, terminations, and overpayments of Social Security benefits, including Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits.
- Health Care: Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance.
- End of Life Planning: last wills, living wills, health care proxies, powers of attorney, and funeral directives.
- Housing: evictions, poor housing conditions, and termination of rental assistance.
- Public Utilities: utility shut-offs
- Public Benefits: denials, cut offs, and reductions in Public Assistance (Welfare), SNAP (Food Stamps), and other benefits.
- Consumer Protection: bankruptcy, debtor relief, and debt collection.
- Employment: employee benefits, job discrimination, wrongful discharge, and unemployment insurance benefits.
- Future Child Care Planning: standby guardianships, guardianships, and adoption subsidies. Individual Rights: discrimination, confidentiality, and medical privacy.
- Legal Name Changes
The HIV/AIDS Law Consortium (HALC) is a collaboration of the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, The Health Law Clinic within the Justice Center at Albany Law School, and the Albany Damien Center. HALC is funded by the AIDS Institute of the New York State Department of Health.
The Legal Aid Society does not discriminate against applicants for services based on race, color, creed, marital status, nation of origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation or sexual identity, or disability. If you believe you have been wrongfully denied services, you may file a grievance. Any Legal Aid staff member can provide you with a copy of the complaint form.