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
Open Marriages & Outsourcing
Let me state upfront that I completely lack the capacity to be in an open marriage, and I will venture to say that almost no one walks down the aisle thinking they will have an open marriage or will need to outsource their sexual needs. However, long after the honeymoon phase is over, things do start to break down-- especially around the 7 year mark, which is when 50% of all divorces occur. At this juncture, some people find it easier to maintain the status quo at home and just have others meet needs that aren't being met at home. Outsourcing happens a lot, and of course I only see the 50% that finally decide to call it quits and get out of their marriage, but I am well aware of the fact that many others just continue to sleep in separate bedrooms and lead separate lives under one roof while agreeing to an open marriage. Many of my clients have admitted to maintaining a separate lives arrangement for 3-9 years, often applying a don't ask don't tell policy. I guess to them ignorance is bliss? When pressed as to why they'd stay in this kind of situation for so long, the most common excuse is that they stayed together because of the kids. Really? I don't quite understand that-- because what behavior are you modeling for your children by [...]
Swimming with Sharks
The other day, one of my guy friends told my son that he is like a shark, and that "sharks constantly have to stay in motion so that they don't sink." Hilarious advice from one of the best sharks I've ever met, and yet in my opinion he missed the mark here. It is my experience that people stay in constant motion precisely because internally they have an issue with just being still. Often I find that those that are always on the go are either avoiding thoughts about the past or they are way too anxious about the future, and so they are running around like chickens with their heads cut off most of the time, not taking a moment to just breath and enjoy the peace, quiet and beauty of their current surroundings. How do I know all of this? Because I was once a shark in constant motion, and only in the last decade have I mellowed and come to enjoy downtime. It is my son that has calmed me down, and because of him I learned to appreciate the simple joys in life, like his laughter. Of course, seeing this softer side has thrown some of my shark friends for a loop. I get it-- how could they ever understand that one of the best gamers has opted out [...]
What is Conscious Dating?
Conscious dating is about being more mindful in your partner choices, and it will be this week's topic on my show. I see people increasingly adopting this approach to dating, and maybe this is one of the benefits of divorce having become so mainstream. I'm not going to sugar coat it, divorce sucks and it can take a while to recover from its aftermath. As a result, more individuals are taking the time on the front-end to figure out what's going to be a good fit, and lots of dating websites are encouraging this approach by making you sit down and figure out your "must haves" and "can't stands." Identifying your needs and non-negotiables is a great first step, but actually there is a more in depth self-analysis that one must go through if you are going to really embark in conscious dating. You have to get rid of certain false assumptions, like the notion that anyone over 40 that's never been married must be a commitment phobe. You need to suspend judgments and go in with an open mind if you want to maximize your dating experiences. Furthermore, you should look at past patterns, which are a great indication of your attachment style. The more aware you are of your own issues, the greater your ability to change unwanted behaviors. [...]
Stop the Guessing Games
There was a time, long ago, when I thought that if someone loved me they should know exactly what to say or do to make things "perfect." Funny thing is that no one knows me better than my son, and even he will just flat out ask me, "what do you want me to say or do?" Because he is a child, it is so easy to just clue him in rather than making him figure it out-- and then one day it dawned on me-- why should I just do this with a child? Why can't this same tactic be applied to everyone? Love may be the thing that binds us to those closest to us, but that doesn't mean we develop mind-reading skills. Again, using my son as an example, no one doubts that I love him, but I don't always know why he is upset or how to make it better. I can ask questions, but I also have to respect his wishes when he says, "I've had a bad day and don't want to talk about it." My only response to that is that if you're having a bad day, it doesn't give you the right to go rain on someone else's parade. That is then our clue that we both need a cooling off period until calmer heads can prevail, which is [...]