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 Common “Solutions” That Actually Make Matters Worse
Everyone has their own story to tell when they come for their initial divorce consult, but invariably there are five common mistakes people make in their relationships that tend to make matters far worse for a couple than anyone could ever have imagined: 1. Shacking Up- Many people think that moving in together will reduce the arguments over "silly" things like an inconvenient commute, inability to coordinate schedules, or repeated miscommunications. These actually are not silly things at all-- they are red flags of deeper issues. Glossing over these things is not smart. Couples fail to realize that moving in together brings on a whole new set of stresses to the relationship, such as managing a household budget, making joint purchases, and compromising on "me" time versus "we" time. 2. Popping the Question- When you doubt someone's commitment to the relationship, you need to work on that issue first-- getting engaged is not the solution to that problem. Outside family pressures, or the fact that a child is on the way, should not be the compelling reason you are going to tie the knot. There are plenty of other ways to demonstrate that you are committed to someone that don't require the purchase of major bling. 3. Let's Have a Baby- I've lost count of the number of people that thought having a baby would bring them closer to their spouse. While [...]
What’s the End Game?
Each person is going to have a different answer to this question, and a lot depends on your stage in life. There is one stage, however, where I've definitely noticed a spike in the number of people seriously asking themselves about the end game-- and it is right around that magical age of 40. If the average life span in the U.S. is about 79, then it makes sense that at the half-way point we are going to start asking ourselves, "how will it end?" This was the ongoing question in The Truman Show with Jim Carrey, and very much like the viewers of Truman in that movie, I am rooting for you to figure out and redefine your own reality. While we may not know when it will end, we are definitely in control with how our stories will unfold. My obsession with love at this point is quite apparent and common knowledge. After studying families for 15 years, and helping clients minimize the downside of their divorce, I have collected enough sad love stories to last me a lifetime, so with the end-game in mind, I've spent the last several years sharing tips on how to actually make love last-- that is the point of the children's book, the blog, and the radio and tv shows. While the legal practice remains my sole source of income, these other projects are [...]
Lowered Expectations- Great for Laughs, But Not a Motto to Embrace
If you haven't seen any of the MAD TV clips with "Lowered Expectations," I highly recommend you search for some on YouTube and have Kleenex available, because some of them will make you cry with laughter! Of course, truly good humor takes a source of pain and just pokes fun at it. That is the genius behind good comedy, and I am begging you to keep this in mind when you start dating again. Dating is the one thing my clients will struggle with the most in their post-divorce lives, and that is precisely why I blog about it so much. Most of us are able to quickly resume our focus on work, especially because we are now the sole providers for our households. With this added pressure, I've actually seen many of my clients soar professionally while at the same time they are able to find a way to rebuild their new home life and figure out the whole co-parenting thing. The majority can actually manage all these things rather quickly, often before the final seal of approval is received from the court on the divorce documents, but dating, well that is a whole other story... Some of my clients completely shut themselves off from dating, and I agree that if they are not ready, they should not try to tackle this beast right away. Others, however, launch right into it, often without taking any [...]
The Secret to Surviving the Dating Game
There are many ways to play the game, but really only one secret to surviving the game-- you can't take things personally. No one wins 100% of the time, so you have to accept that you will lose some of the time. Guys, who are much more sports-oriented, tend to be better at accepting this fact, which is why they tend to just cast out a wide net and see what fish they can reel in. I'm not keen on being a "fish," which is why I don't do online dating. Instead, I prefer to be a sharp shooter, who has to see her target in person-- but even with precise aim I know at best I'll hit my mark 9 out of 10 times. No one I know has a perfect batting average, so whatever you do, you can't just throw in the towel and accept defeat. You may need to rethink your strategy if you just experienced a bad break up or keep having a bad streak, but you keep moving forward. There is no point to fearing rejection or abandonment-- you just have to accept that these things are going to happen. Let's just face facts-- what are the odds that you will find someone that loves you unconditionally? The answer is ZERO. We all have our deal-breakers, and even in a committed, monogamous [...]