Welcome to Vendt Law Firm, P.L.L.C. Whether you need a divorce lawyer, representation for criminal charges, or you need to make wrongful death claim for the loss of a loved one, our personal injury, criminal law, and family law firm provides effective representation for clients in the Katy, Richmond and Sugar Land, TX areas.

Our criminal law, personal injury, divorce attorneys, property division lawyers, child support attorneys, and spousal support lawyers have the experience and knowledge to fight for you and guide you through the legal proceedings. We provide individualized solutions for our clients to ensure they receive fair representation, and we focus on protecting their legal rights.

PRACTICES AREA:

CONTACT:
1104 Thompson Road
Richmond, TX 77469
Phone: (832) 276-9474
Fax: (281) 239-2115









Frank J. Vendt, Jr



Frank J. Vendt, Jr., has been meaningfully involved with people that work all types of jobs, people that have various social statuses, and people that live with many different issues. This led him to practice family law. We have all heard that nothing takes the place of experience. Mr. Vendt has been through a divorce himself, and has shared custody of his child. He understands the battles one faces when it is time to end a marriage (money, children, reputation, failure, et cetera). Outside of law, Mr. Vendt spends time with his family and in the outdoors. He is a father of two children, both a boy and a girl. Having rebuilt his life after divorce, Mr. Vendt will be the first to say there is life after divorce, and we are going to help you get there.

EDUCATION:
JD from Southern University 05/2004

HOURS:
Monday to Friday (8AM–5PM)

WORK EXPERIENCE:
Law Office of Kevin Patrick Mohahan - Clerk, 2002 - 2006
Schlumberger, Ltd. Contract Negotiation, 2008 - 2012
The Vendt Law Firm, PLLC - Senior Counsel, 2012 - Present

ASSOCIATIONS:
Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association, 2012 - Present
Fort Bend County Criminal Defense Attorneys Association, 2012 - Present
Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, 2012 - Present
Fort Bend County Bar Association, 2012 - Present
Texas Trial Lawyers Association, 2013 - Present

CONTACT:
Frank J. Vendt, Jr
1104 Thompson Road
Richmond, TX 77469
Phone: (832) 276-9474
Fax: (281) 239-2115
Business Email: frankvendt@thevendtlawfirm.com











Divorce is messy, and it leaves nearly everyone in a state of anxiety and uncertainty. After all, it’s very difficult to know what your life is going to look like after your divorce. While many people cite money problems as a motivating factor in their divorces, many of these same people are surprised to find that a divorce doesn’t make their financial problems go away. Although every divorce is unique and everyone’s goal is to make it through as best one can, there are several financial factors that can help guide you toward the best decisions for you.

Shared Credit
If you and your divorcing spouse have any joint credit cards or accounts, now is a good time to cancel them. Figure out a way to divide the balances (if possible), and shut them down. You don’t want to tie your credit score to your soon-to-be ex’s spending habits. If you don’t have much of a credit rating on your own, now is a good time to get started on that.

Beneficiary Update
You probably don’t realize how many policies you have that list your nearly ex as a beneficiary—including pensions, annuities, life insurance, trusts, and retirement accounts. Everyone’s situation is unique, but now’s a good time to update your beneficiaries on these documents (having young children together can play a role in what will work best for you—consult with an experienced divorce attorney to sort this out).

Splitting The Family Home
The cleanest way to divide your family home in a divorce is to sell it outright and to equally divide the proceeds. This, of course, isn’t always feasible—for example, if you have young children that you want to continue to live at home you might not want to sell. In such a case, whoever’s living in the house should refinance the mortgage under their name, and the person who moves out should ensure that their name is no longer on the title or mortgage. It’s important to note that simply removing your name from the title doesn’t mean you’ve erased your liability on the mortgage.

Dividing Retirement Plans
If you have retirement plans to split, it can be especially tricky. An experienced Texas divorce lawyer will provide you with your options and will help you split the plan without incurring out-of-sight administrative fees and tax consequences. There may also be a specific order that needs to be filed. This is a task that’s best guided by your divorce lawyer.

Alimony And Child Support
Finally, if your ex will be paying alimony and/or child support, there are methods by which your attorney can help you set the payments up so that they’re paid automatically and consistently.

If You’re Heading Toward Divorce, Consult a Sugar Land, Texas, Divorce Lawyer Today

Every divorce is unique, but no divorce is easy. Your finances will play an important role in your divorce, and there are some things that you can do to help that piece of the puzzle go as smoothly as possible. Attorney Frank J. Vendt at The Vendt Law Firm, P.L.L.C., in Sugar Land, Texas, has the knowledge and dedication to help guide your case toward its most positive resolution. To schedule a consultation with Mr. Vendt, please contact or call our office at (832) 276-9474 today.
THE MODIFICATION OF A TEXAS CHILD SUPPORT ORDER

Once child support is established by the court, it can’t be modified without the entering of a new court order. While you and your ex can informally agree to changes, without a new order—if a dispute later arises—you’ll have no right to the increased amount you and your ex came to agree upon. If you need to have your Texas child support order modified, it’s in your best interest to seek experienced legal counsel.

Conditions Of Child Support Modifications
Courts may modify two broad conditions within which child support case:

  1. The child support order was issued at least three years earlier, and the current calculation using the Texas child support guidelines would change the support amount by more than 20 percent—or by at least $100.
  2. The requesting party can show that a material and substantial change in circumstances of one or both of the divorced parties has occurred since the original support order was issued.
Material And Substantial Change?

 “What the heck is a material and substantial change?” you may ask, and it’s a great question—but unfortunately, there is no exact answer. There are, however, some examples of circumstances that typically qualify as material and substantial changes:
  • When one party’s income goes up or down significantly
  • When one party loses a job or gets a new job
  • When either parties’ medical insurance coverage changes
  • When the paying party becomes legally responsible for supporting more children
  • When a child develops a special need (which can include a medical, educational, or psychological diagnosis)
  • When a child’s living arrangements have changed

Any of these situations could lead to the modification of a Texas child support order, but there are no guarantees.

Modifications Aren’t Retroactive

Even if all the listed substantial and material changes are relevant to your changed circumstances, a modification in child support isn’t retroactive to the date the changes occurred. Simply experiencing changes in your circumstances does nothing to alter the child support order. Instead, you must go through the court to exact modification of that order. To expedite the process and to help ensure that your children receive the full support that they need and deserve, seek experienced legal counsel.

If You Need a Child Support Modification, Consult with an Experienced Sugar Land, Texas, Divorce Attorney Today

Child support is integral to your children’s welfare, and if you or your ex’s circumstances have changed, you may be entitled to a modification of your Texas child support order. At The Vendt Law Firm, P.L.L.C., in Sugar Land, Texas, we understand how critical child support is to you and to your children, and we’re here to help.Attorney Frank J. Vendt has the experience, dedication, and determination to fight for the child support modification to which you are entitled. To schedule a consultation with Mr. Vendt, call our office today at (832) 276-9474 or send us an email through our online contact form.

Going through a divorce is never an easy task. The fact that each of our 50 great states puts its own spin on how the proceedings will go makes it even more complicated. Nevertheless, if you are facing the end of your marriage, it is important to understand what your options are in Texas.

Legal Separation In Texas?

Texas makes no provisions for legal separations. Since Texas is a community property state, simply living apart doesn’t alter the fact that anything you acquire while you live apart remains marital property until you are legally divorced. For instance, your salary is marital property until your divorce is final. In other words, even if you live separately from your spouse for years, you remain legally married until you are legally divorced. The assets you gain during your separation are still considered shared property of your marriage until the divorce is final.

A Texas Annulment

When a court declares your marriage not legally valid, it’s an annulment. Rather than ending your marriage, an annulment specifies that you were never legally married in the first place. The specifications for obtaining an annulment, however, are highly exacting (and they all relate to when the marriage took place):

If one of you was underage
If you (as the party asking for an annulment) was under the influence of alcohol or narcotics
If one of you concealed a divorce that occurred within the previous 30 days
If the marriage occurred within fewer than 72 hours of the marriage license’s issue
If permanent impotency, fraud, duress, force, mental incapacity, consanguinity (being too closely related), or bigamy plays a role in the marriage

 Obviously, an annulment is a longshot when it comes to ending your marriage in Texas—but it does happen.

Grounds For Divorce

Texas grants both fault and no-fault divorces. Texas recognizes several grounds (or reasons) for a fault-based divorce, which include cruelty, adultery, conviction of a felony, abandonment of at least one year, living separately for three or more years, or confinement in a mental hospital for three or more years.

Because it’s a much more straightforward process, it’s far more common for couples in Texas to obtain no-fault divorces. While a divorce based on fault could lead to the court granting you more than half of the marital assets, it is typically a much more litigious—and therefore timely, expensive, and stressful—process. Divorce is messy, but a no-fault divorce can help to simplify the process.

If You’re Considering Divorce, Contact a Katy, Texas, Divorce Attorney Today


If you’re considering a Texas divorce, it is in your best interest to consult with a Katy, Texas, divorce attorney. Every divorce is difficult, but legal guidance will help you navigate through the process more efficiently and more effectively—after all, the outcome of your divorce will have a significant effect on your family’s future. Attorney Frank J. Vendt at The Vendt Law Firm, P.L.L.C., focuses on legal guidance that’s based on the best solution for you and your children. Mr. Vendt is here to help, so please contact or call our office at (832) 276-9474 to schedule an appointment today.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE DIVORCE PROCESS

Divorce is complex, but arming yourself with an understanding of what lies ahead can help. Every divorce is unique, and Texas’s divorce laws are different than those of many other states. Understanding the basic Texas divorce process can help you work through it more effectively.
Grounds for Divorce

A divorce terminates the marriage contract between two persons. The grounds for this termination can be based on one party’s fault or on neither’s fault (no-fault). In a no-fault divorce, either party may seek and obtain a divorce regardless of whether the other spouse consents. A fault-based divorce, on the other hand, requires that one spouse prove the other party’s fault, which can be classified in several ways:

Adultery
Abandonment
Incurable mental disorder
Imprisonment
Cruelty

Fault-based divorces are usually pursued when the couple is unable to come to satisfactory terms regarding settlement issues and when one of the parties would like the court to take the other party’s conduct into consideration.
Contested vs. Uncontested Divorce

A couple must resolve several issues before receiving a Texas divorce:
Division of property and assets
Spousal support
Custody
Visitation
Child support

If you and your divorcing spouse can agree upon all of these terms, you can obtain an uncontested divorce and avoid the legal expense of adversarial litigation. On the other hand, if you can’t resolve these issues together, you will need to resolve your contested divorce through dispute resolution or through the court.

If your divorce is uncontested, your attorney will draft a divorce settlement as agreed by you and your spouse. If the court approves the agreement, it can finalize your divorce and issue a judgment. Contested divorces will need to go through a period of negotiation involving your attorney and your spouse’s attorney in an attempt to resolve any contested matters. Negotiation may lead to mediation if necessary. If you are unable to resolve one or more issues through negotiation or mediation, you will have to present the matter in court and the judge will decide how to resolve the issue. It is always preferable—and less costly—to resolve issues outside of court. However, if your case does have to go to trial, it is critical that an experienced divorce litigator represent you.
Contact a Divorce Lawyer in Sugar Land, Texas, to Discuss Your Situation

If you are facing or considering a Texas divorce, protect your rights and assets by contacting a skilled divorce attorney. Your attorney will help you see the big legal picture and help you make important decisions that are best for you and your case. To discuss your situation with a Texas divorce attorney, contact The Vendt Law Firm, P.L.L.C., today. Attorney Frank J. Vendt has the experience, knowledge, and commitment to help you resolve your divorce as favorably as possible. To schedule a consultation, call our office today at (832) 276-9474 or send us an email through our online contact form.
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