HALCO Services
HALCO provides free legal services to people in Ontario who are living with or affected by HIV/AIDS.
HALCO
provides free services in four ways:
(Select an area or read about all our services)
Summary Advice
Representation
Public Legal Education
Law Reform
Free summary advice is provided in our Areas
of Legal Practice [see below]. There are no financial eligibility guidelines for our summary advice
service. If we cannot assist you, we will try to refer you. Please note that where the clinic has a conflict of interest,
or potential conflict of interest, we may have to refer you to
other services.
Representation
Representation is free and available to clients who meet eligibility guidelines and whose legal problem is within our Areas of Legal Practice [see below]. If HALCO is unable to provide representation, we try to refer clients to other legal, community or government services.
HALCO's Areas of Legal Practice include:
Social Assistance (Ontario Disability Support Program, Ontario Works)
Income Maintenance (Canada Pension Plan, Old Age Security)
Housing (landlord/tenant issues)
Human Rights (federal and provincial)
Employment Standards
Some Immigration Matters
Some Private Insurance Matters
Substitute Decision Making
Regulated Health Professions Complaints
HIV-related Prison Matters
Criminal Injuries Compensation Board for victims of crime
Other Administrative Law Matters
HALCO does not practice:
Criminal Law
Family Law
Real Estate Law
We may be able to refer you.
Public Legal Education
HALCO staff organize, conduct and participate in legal
education on topics of interest to people living with HIV/AIDS and the community in general. Our Public
Legal Education activities include presentations at conferences, to groups, and
to AIDS Service Organizations. Public Legal Education also includes the production of
written materials - click
here for our Publications page.
Please call our office if you would like to request a presentation, or to order copies of our materials and poster.
Law Reform
HALCO participates in Law Reform activities that will help people living with HIV/AIDS. Law Reform activities are frequently based in Community Development initiatives and seek to involve as many and as broad a range of individuals living with or affected by HIV/AIDS as possible.