About HPLS legal help

If you need help to fill out the form, you can call us on (02) 8898 6545.

Who we can help

People who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, which includes:

• people who are sleeping rough (eg on the street or in a car).
• people living temporarily with friends or family because of homelessness (eg ‘couch surfing’).
• people staying in emergency accomodation or refuges.
• people living in boarding houses, hostels or hotels.
• people in social housing or private rental accommodation at risk of losing their home and becoming homeless for example because of mental health issues, age, financial hardship, or family violence or if their legal issue makes it difficult to access or maintain secure accommodation.

What we can help with

We can provide legal advice and we can sometimes provide representation in court or NCAT (the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal) in relation to these legal issues.

Housing: eviction, repairs, rent or issues with Homes NSW/community housing; private or public housing bans from previous tenancy problems; debts that prevent getting into public housing.

Money problems: credit card debts, fines, difficulty paying loans, debt collectors, helping to sort out bills with private companies.

Violence: legal advice for victims of violence or sexual assault; apprehended violence orders (AVOs); victim’s compensation.

Criminal matters: charges by police; court attendance notices; bail; seeking changes to a court order, such as bail or parole conditions.

Specialist support for women: as well as providing free legal advice and representation in relation to these issues, the all-female team in our Women’s Service can also help with non-legal issues related to accessing or maintaining a safe home. A specialist caseworker can support clients of the legal services to access temporary accommodation, apply for public and social housing, and access other support services.

What we can’t help with

Family law: divorce, child support, child protection.

Immigration: visa issues, refugee applications.

Property: disputes about property.

Personal injury: compensation for injuries through accidents.

Wills: drafting wills.

If you need help for a legal problem we can’t help with, we recommend contacting Law Access on 1300 888 529 or your local community legal centre (online list of community legal centres).