Blog

Background Charlie*, a veteran, and his wife separated several years ago. Charlie remained in Broward County, and his wife and daughter moved to California. For years, Charlie had only spoken to his daughter over the phone as he could not afford to travel. During one of these calls, Charlie discovered that his now teenage daughter...Read More

Background Luis* served honorably in the United States Navy from 2003 through 2005. Unfortunately, due to severe mental health issues, with time, Luis became reclusive and homeless. For about a year, he stopped attending his VA healthcare appointments and did not receive his mail. Due to these reasons, the VA terminated his service-connected disability benefits....Read More

Background Jamie* served in the United States Army for five years including multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. After his discharge from the Army, Jamie worked contract jobs overseas until returning to South Florida. Once back in Florida, Jamie began to experience severe symptoms of PTSD, which caused him to self-medicate with drugs and...Read More

Background A veteran by the name of Leonard fell behind on rent payments due to the financial impact associated with COVID-19. In the last week of September 2020, Governor DeSantis decided not to extend Executive Order 20-211 and the Governor’s moratorium was lifted. Why it Matters After the Florida Governor’s moratorium was lifted, the landlord...Read More

Nicole R. Topper, Esq. Nicole R. Topper, Esq. is a Partner and Chair of Blank Rome’s Florida Offices. Since 2015, Nicole’s team at Blank Rome has taken 15 pro bono cases for Legal Aid Service of Broward County and the Mission United Veterans Pro Bono Project helping Veterans in areas such as landlord-tenant disputes, consumer...Read More