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
5 Key Points to Consider in a Divorce
Divorce Corp. hits theaters this weekend, and according to how they depict the problem in the trailers and on CNN, it seems they are trying to blame the attorneys and suggest that the legal system is somehow being unjust. To set the record straight, putting all emotions aside for a moment, in the legal world there are really four key issues that need to be addressed in a divorce: 1. Custody- (1) What schedule will you follow for sharing the kids? (2) How will you make major decisions about their welfare-- education, medical care, etc.? 2. Child Support- How will you both contribute towards the children's expenses? Thankfully, there are guidelines that each state follows, and most are available online. Generally, the formulas take into account (1) the income of each party; (2) the health insurance cost for the child; (3) work-related daycare/aftercare expenses; and (4) the time-sharing arrangement. This should be straight-forward, except when someone is self-employed or under-employed-- that is when things can get murky. 3. Alimony- If someone needs support, and the other has a demonstrated ability to pay, then there really are just 2 questions we need to answer: (1) what is the amount needed and (2) for how long? Some states have guidelines that they use for alimony calculations, others may want to refer to the formula proposed by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (www.aaml.org). [...]
Watch Out for the Seven Deadly Sins
Some days, I feel more like a priest than a lawyer, as people step into my office and confess all their sins, or those committed by their partners. Of course, unlike a priest, I cannot absolve them of all these acts, which have turned their home into a House of Horrors. All I can do is help them plan an escape. The tell-tales signs that it is time to go are always the same: (1) a loss of respect and (2) lack of trust. Without these 2 pillars, love will come crashing down like a house of cards. Interestingly enough, the actions that lead to the demise of a marriage are always the same, and can easily be summed up as the 7 Deadly Sins, which Pope Gregory the Great identified as follows: 1. Pride 2. Envy 3. Anger 4. Sloth 5. Greed 6. Gluttony 7. Lust You don't have to be a Christian to appreciate how these sins (defined by the Pope as offenses against love) would poison any positive feelings you may have once felt towards another human being. The Pope actually ranked them in terms of severity (with #1 being the worst), and the rank correlates with the degree of fixation an individual exhibits with him/herself and a corresponding decrease in concern for others. In today's vocabulary we would say the [...]
Talking to Kids About Drugs & Violence
In the last few weeks, there have been some interesting discussions in my home as a result of the news, thank you Justin Bieber & Co. Here's a glimpse of our Q&A: Q: Why do people do drugs? Answer: To numb the pain. Q: Why would a star feel pain? Answer: There's immense pressure to stay on top. Q: Why is there so much violence? Answer: Because people are angry. Q: Why are so many people angry? Answer: In my opinion, because of the increasingly outrageous disparity between the rich and poor. Over the last 30 years, while we've undoubtedly seen the standard of living of the poor improve, the fact is the middle class is struggling to recover from all the hits we took in the Great Recession, meanwhile the rich have never had a more concentrated level of wealth like this since the Great Depression. Seriously, according to a recent article in the Atlantic, the 85 wealthiest families have as much wealth as the poorest 3 Billion combined. Hopefully, I am not the only one that wanted to throw up after reading that article. While the media tries to "search for answers," I think parents need to step up and help our kids face some harsh realities. We have to accept that thanks to modern technology, in a post 9/11 world, our kids [...]
Think Like a Man, But Act Like a Lady
Generally speaking, guys think women are super complicated and very emotional. Generally speaking, I happen to agree with them, although there are always some exceptions. So, every day I have to teach people to stop telling me about their feelings and stick to the facts. It's not that I don't care about feelings, it's just that in the legal world we see that emotions cloud judgment, and we are bound to uphold an objective standard of fairness, not one person's opinion of what is right or wrong. In litigation, which is a field dominated by men (or women who think like men), we care about evidence and facts. If you are going to accuse someone of anything- what do you have to support your position? In settlement talks, we focus on solving the present issue, not re-hashing the past. In court, where it is a battle of wits, the winner is not the one who shouts the loudest, but rather the one who can articulate his/her points most eloquently. Outside the courtroom, I've found the same principles apply-- if I present my case in a calm, logical manner, guys will listen. With men, the delivery of your message matters A LOT. -If you make a request (not a demand) they will want to help because they enjoy being Mr. Fix It. -If you seek their input (and don't try [...]