Stop Hunger Now - Crystal River Charity Event to Feed Children

Saturday, February 25th at 8:30 am, local organizations like the Rotary Clubs and Citrus-Hernando Inn of Court, along with local volunteers, will gather in the Crystal River High School Cafeteria to participate in a Stop Hunger Now meal packaging event.

The volunteers, which are expected to exceed 150 in number, will work together to package filling, nutrient-rich meals which will be sent to under-nourished school children around the world. Last year's event, chaired by Attorney Keith Taylor, saw over 100,000 meals packaged which were shipped by Stop Hunger Now, an international aid organization, to schools in Vietnam. He is excited to have the same level of success this year.

If you would like to get involved by volunteering your time, please contact our office and speak to Angela. The whole family is welcome. If you would like to donate, each meal costs only 25 cents, so even small donations can make a big difference for hungry children worldwide.

Purple Heart Ceremony to be held Saturday in Crystal River

Originally established by George Washington in 1782 as the Badge of Military Merit, the Purple Heart is given to honor those combat-wounded men and women who have selflessly sacrificed for their country. The Purple Heart is the oldest award that is still given to members of the U.S. military. On Saturday, February 18th, members of Aaron A. Weaver Chapter 776 Military Order of the Purple Heart will honor the legacy of the Purple Heart by inviting veterans and the public to their seventh annual Purple Heart Ceremony.

The Ceremony will take place at the Florida National Guard River Armory in Crystal River at 11:00 am. The ceremony will include a tribute to fallen heroes and wounded veterans and Patriot Riders, the Civil Air Patrol, the Young Marines and some JROTC units will participate. There will also be a mural on display which honors 300 Floridians who have sacrificed their lives during the Afghanistan and Iraq campaigns with both their engraved names, and color portraits.

During the ceremony, a wreath will be placed to honor these eight Citrus County soldiers who have died in Action.

• Cpl. Johnathan Taylor, U.S. Marines
• Pfc. Michael Mahr, U.S. Army
• Sgt. Jonathan Peney, U.S. Army
• Sgt. Dennis J. Boles, U.S. Army
• Sgt. Dennis J. Flanagan, U.S. Army
• Cpl. Stanley J. Lapinski, U.S. Army
• Sgt. Robert A. Surber, U.S. Army
• Chief Warrant Officer Aaron A. Weaver, U.S. Army

If you would like any more information on the Purple Heart Ceremony, visit www.citruspurpleheart.org or call 352-382-3847.

We would like to salute the men and women of our armed forces who have sacrificed so much for our nation. Thank you for your service.

The Impact of Foreclosure During Divorce

By: Steven D. Fichtman

As the economy worsens and housing markets continue to decline, many people have made the decision to allow their homes to go into foreclosure and to "walk away" from their mortgages. Some even continue to live in the home without payment as their foreclosure case moves forward.

In a divorce case, an issue can arise when only one spouse wishes to "walk away" or stop paying the mortgage. The other spouse may not agree for a number of reasons, including not wanting to risk a foreclosure on his or her credit, not wanting to risk losing the marital home and wanting to preserve marital assets.

Under Florida law, the parties have a joint obligation to maintain the asset, despite the wishes of one party to “walk away”. Therefore, a Judge can force the parties to continue to make the monthly mortgage payments and make both parties responsible for the mortgage. A Judge can also force each party to pay their share (or the full amount) of the mortgage each month until the divorce is final and it is decided what would happen with the marital home.

While the facts of every case are different, the important thing to know is that the parties have an obligation to remain current and responsible on marital expenses and responsibilities, including the martial home.

We Now Offer Florida Probate Services!

At The Law Office of Keith Taylor, we are constantly growing and expanding to meet the needs of our clients and our community. To help offer even more inclusive legal services, we now proudly provide Florida probate services!

Probate is the legal process that involves administering and distributing a person’s estate after their death either under their Last Will and Testament, or through the State of Florida’s statutes if there is no Will.

This process might include interpreting the wishes set out in a Last Will and Testament, paying debts to creditors, or distributing assets to beneficiaries or legal heirs.

It can be a complicated, frustrating, and time-consuming process, especially when the person trying to handle all this has recently lost their loved one. Often, to avoid the frustration of dealing with these issues alone, individuals look to an experienced and dedicated probate attorney to handle these issues for them.

Our attorneys work closely with the personal representative of the estate, step-by-step, to ensure that the estate is distributed and administered efficiently and effectively.

If you have recently lost a loved one and are trying to deal with the complicated probate process on your own, call our office and let our dedicated team of professionals help you. If you would like more information on the services we offer, you can visit our website, contact our office, or email Attorney Czaya at Adam@KeithTaylorLaw.com.