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
We Are All a Work in Progress
Whether we like it or not, change is a normal part of life. Some of us embrace change, others resist it-- either way, a whole flurry of emotions will come bubbling up to the surface. As a divorce attorney, I've guided countless people through major life changes over the last 15 years, but my original training in law school was to keep emotions out of legal negotiations-- emotions are bad, they cloud our judgment, and no good can come of that when you are dealing with high-stakes litigation, especially in family law. Now, I've always had a natural tendency to compartmentalize emotions, so unraveling domestic partnerships is not difficult for me-- it's the client-management side that presents the more challenging piece to my cases. About 9 years ago, when my son was born and my marriage unraveled, a funny thing happened-- I learned the downside to burying emotions. The fact is that to successfully navigate the complexities of life, you have to pay attention to your own feelings and process your emotions, so that you can be true to yourself. While working on my own self-awareness project, my professional studies over the past decade focused on what makes relationships work and what makes them fall apart-- and there is definitely a connection. Until you understand your own needs and wants, managing a [...]
First Impressions/Last Impressions
We've all heard that first impressions are important-- both at work and in our personal lives. Most of us strive to show up on time, well-dressed and attempt to put our best foot forward when meeting someone for the first time. Not much is said, however, about how we should end things, except in business they always recommend that you try not to burn any bridges when you leave. Well, it is my sincere hope that more people will embrace this in their personal lives as well, but sadly emotions get out of control sometime, and some are just incapable of exiting with civility and grace. Try to keep these things in mind as you part ways: 1) It is a small world, and you never know when you might run into someone that knows an ex. 2) When you look back at your actions later, you'll feel better about yourself if there are no regrets. 3) Taking the high road is not letting someone off the hook, it's a gift to yourself that allows you to maintain your dignity. 4) If someone else is lashing out at you, it is really because they are hurt-- like a wounded animal. 5) Sometimes the best reaction is simply to not respond. Silence is indeed golden at times. The opposite of love is [...]
How Do You Know It’s Right?
Sometimes I have clients that vacilate-- they are not sure whether they should pull the plug or not on their marriage. This is not a decision that anyone I've ever know has taken lightly, and many will try counseling to try and right the ship before jumping off the Titanic. But recently I read that for every bad interaction it is going to take 5 positive ones to cancel out that negative occurence. Knowing that, I can see how the odds become stacked against a couple that is spiraling downward. So if you find yourself getting pulled into this black hole situation, maybe the best thing is to take a break. There is nothing wrong with hitting pause and allowing yourself some time to think before you write the end of your love story. Unfortunately, you need to be prepared for the fact that the other party may not agree with hitting pause, and if so, that is simply too bad. Whenever I have found myself in a perplexing situation, either at work or personally, I just take a break. Maybe I'll go for a run, or a walk around Dupont Circle during lunch. If I need a weekend to think things through, I just pack up a bag and go. Getting out of a situation does wonders to help you think [...]
Learning to Forgive
The first three decades of my life I have to admit, I was not a very forgiving person. Then I became a mom, and the cliché is true-- motherhood changed me. Everything ceased to go according to my plans, and I had to learn to let things go. My marriage fell apart under various strains before my son even turned 2, and the last thing on Earth I wanted to be was a self-employed, single mom, especially during the Great Recession. So many of us lost so much then, much like Job in the Bible, but I refused to wallow in self-pity, and become angry and bitter-- I have seen too many go down that path, and it does not end well. So, I made a different choice-- to forgive and move on. Not that it was easy, but it is far healthier and ultimately more rewarding. In this last decade of my life, I've definitely mellowed and come to accept that none of us are perfect, that we all make mistakes, and that you shouldn't judge someone based on whether they suffered a setback, but rather pay attention to how they recover from that setback. Witnessing so many people recover from major blows in life definitely gives you perspective. As long as you have your health, a job you like, your kids are happy and [...]