DC and MD Matrimonial Lawyer Focusing on Custody, Divorce and Prenups
For over 20 years, Regina A. DeMeo has been helping families in MD and DC with custody and divorce issues either through mediation, litigation or advocacy. She is an alumna of Georgetown University and GW University Law School, who is nationally recognized as a top matrimonial attorney. She is frequently quoted in the media for her ideas to promote healthier relationships and featured in the Washington Post, ABA Journal and Bethesda Magazine for her care and commitment to her clients. As a legal commentator, she has appeared on Washington Post Express Facebook Live, ABC tv, Good Morning America, MMCTV, YouTube and Sirius XM, and has been quoted in various magazines, books and journals across the country.
Regina offers appointments in Maryland and DC. Her areas of practice include:
Latest Blog Posts by GenXSmartie
Don’t Ignore the Money Talks
Just as a company without a viable operating budget will not last long, the same I believe is true for couples. In fact, the stats show that over 50% of businesses fail within their first 5 years, and over 50% of marriages fail within their first 7 years-- coincidence? I think not. If you don't have sufficient income to meet your expenses, this is a huge problem, and it will undoubtedly cause a ton of stress in your life. If you are part of a real partnership, there is no need to feel like you have to take this all on yourself. Be honest and communicate your concerns with each other. For your relationship to work, you have to be able to play off each other's strengths and feel like you are a team with each challenge that arises, and money is a huge one for most families. Ignoring difficult money talks and/or borrowing from credit are simply delay tactics, not real solutions. Sadly, every day in my divorce cases I have to re-train people to balance their own budgets and live within their means, and often their problems are compounded by years of accumulating debt without any real financial plan in place. Sometimes, bankruptcy (which is the option of last resort) is really is the only option-- and the more I have witnessed these financial train wrecks in the last few years, [...]
Make the Most of Your Own Valentine’s Day
Twenty years ago, a dozen long stemmed roses arrived in my college dorm-- half a dozen white for friendship, half a dozen red for love. That night, my date arrived from New York and took me to Sequoia's for dinner on the Georgetown waterfront. I still have the note that came with those roses, and a picture of what the bouquet looked like when it first arrived, along with many cherished memories of our romance that lasted over a decade. Although our marriage did not last, we have a child that we continue to raise together, and ever since the divorce, I have fortunately had my son each year as my special Valentine. With him, I've learned the importance of just acknowledging the day without going over-board. So, regardless of whether there has been a love interest in my life around Valentine's Day, I have always made sure that we have a special meal, flowers, and of course, chocolates. And once he ceases to want to spend his Valentine's Day with me, which is an imminent reality that I am well aware of, I'm going to continue with this new tradition of treating myself on V-Day because the fact is I've found it to be rather empowering to be able to reward myself on special occasions without relying on anyone else to make my day. Let's [...]
Alcoholism & Its Impact on Families
DC is a very stressful area, and not many have good coping skills for stress, anxiety or depression. Many, who are not from this area, and lack sufficient family support, will self medicate or attempt to numb their pain by abusing alcohol, which is cheap and readily available. Most that I see in my divorce cases, will not get caught because they are able to show up for work, and they drink "responsibly" by not driving and either take cabs, metro, or pass out at home while avoiding any arrests for a DUI. High-functioning alcoholics are everywhere, at every level of our society. Sadly, most refuse to acknowledge that they have a problem, even when their families are begging them to face their addiction issues. By the time I get involved, one spouse has finally hit his/her limit, and is no longer willing to try and see if the addict can work things out. I realize, however, there are those that stay, and if they do, they need to learn to stop being enablers. More importantly, kids-- either in an intact marriage or with parents that are separated must have their own support network and learn to set boundaries with their alcoholic parents, and this is where they can benefit immensely from Alateen (for kids 9-19). There are over 250 Al-Anon sponsored meetings per week in DC for a reason. This is a serious illness that we need to [...]
Stop Worrying About Rejection- Just Go Out on a Limb
Are you holding back from pursuing something you want? Don't let the fear of rejection stop you from going after your goals. Rejection sucks, I know, but it is not going to kill you, and honestly it's just a normal part of life. No one I have ever met has been immune to the feeling of rejection. Let me repeat NO ONE. I'll give you 3 clear examples we can all relate to: 1. In high school, plenty of us from all walks of life, despite great grades, did not get into our first choice for college. 2. In our job searches, everyone I know has had to go through a series of interviews with various employers, and again despite impeccable credentials, we don't always get our dream job in a nano second, especially in this job market. 3. In the dating world, none of us get the guy or girl we want 100% of the time. Looks, smarts, and a great attitude can all be there and yet a lot has to do with timing. Sometimes, the timing just sucks. The secret to finding the courage to put yourself out there is this: learn not to take things so personally. If you still think I'm full of crap, I'll give you a very personal example that proves my point: 22 years ago, I went in search of my [...]