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
Top 5 Common Parenting Mistakes
Being a parent in today's world is not easy, especially when there is so much uncertainty in life. And yet, I've found that the greatest reward for me has been working with kids, both in my divorce cases and at home with my son. These children are filled with such promise, and they've given me a great purpose in life. They force us to focus on what our true values are, as we really have to think hard about the lessons we want to impart on them, for ultimately they will be our true legacy. Now of course each child has his/her own little personality, and so what works with one won't necessarily work with another. Since they don't come with manuals, a lot of parenting is really trial and error, so relax none of us are going to be perfect 100% of the time. But there are some big mistakes that I've repeatedly seen parents make that we should all try to avoid. Here's my list of top 5: 1. Avoid being overly protective (aka the "helicopter parent,") who is always hovering over them. Of course as parents it is our job to protect our kids, but we also need to let them learn some things on their own. You don't want to create such an unhealthy level of dependency that they will never be able [...]
Top 10 Things to Ask Before You Say “I Do”…
The last 15 years as a matrimonial attorney, I've really enjoyed working with couples on their prenuptial agreements, which now works out to be almost 30% of my consults. Yet I realize many continue to see this as unappealing or perhaps unromantic, so I'm willing to cut you some slack, especially if you are young and lacking in assets, but at least have some money talks before you tie the knot and make sure you are on the same page with respect to finances. Here are my top 10 questions to ask: 1. What is your credit score? 2. What are your outstanding debts? 3. What is your annual income? 4. What do you enjoy spending money on? 5. What are your current assets? 6. What do you envision as shared household expenses, and how will we pay those? 7. What do you envision as separate expenses, and how will we pay those? 8. How many kids do you want- and how will we pay for their upbringing? 9. What assets do you want to create together during the marriage? 10. How important is it for you to save for an emergency fund, retirement, kids' college? Before you legally and financially bind yourself to another person, you have to know the answers to all these questions. How can you plan for a future when [...]
Are We Asking for Too Much?
Guys seem to clearly be at a loss with women these days, and the fact is we've changed the game at warped speed, so you can't blame them for being a bit confused. Ever since World War II when the guys went off to war, and women in the U.S. got their first real opportunity to prove their worth working outside the home, we have slowly but surely destroyed the old notion of gender roles and annihilated the "traditional marriage" as a real model to aspire to in this lifetime. So where does that leave us today? Well, I think we really have to analyze what we want in a partnership, and once we form that union, we have to be okay with the pact we've made. According to the authors of "The Good Marriage," there are 4 typical marriage structures: (1) The traditional marriage- where the husband is the breadwinner and wife takes care of the home and kids; (2) Love at first sight- where this couple truly believes their meeting was some magical occurrence created by fate, and this is the glue that binds them; (3) The savior role- where one party comes to the rescue of the other, and they both continue to enjoy this dynamic where one is the other's caretaker; (4) The marriage of equals- these are typically friends, with similar [...]
There’s No Need for Risky Business.
Are you a divorced parent over the age of 40 and dating? Welcome to the party-- with the right attitude, you will have a blast because now (1) pressure is off to get married; (2) no need to have more kids; and (3) hopefully you are at a point in your career and with your finances, that you can enjoy a little bit more in life. So here's the deal, don't play Russian Roulette out there and risk wrecking everything. Thanks to modern medicine, there's a lot we can do to minimize our risks while still having fun-- however, unless you exchange STD test results with someone you cannot be sure that they are "clean." Some people may not even know they are carriers, and sadly not all viruses can be cured, such as HIV or HSV (herpes). To prevent pregnancies, not only can guys have a quick laproscopic vasectomy, but now women can also have their tubes blocked in an out-patient procedure that takes less than 1 hour. Many might have this covered through insurance, and if not, my understanding is that these options cost less than $3,000. Obviously you need to check with your own medical provider and insurance carrier for full details, but I see these sterilization options as a fantastic solution for both men and women out there dating, who don't want to [...]