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
Mastering the Art of Breakups
For 15 years, it has been my job to deal with some of the nastiest break-ups in the DC Area. At this point, I'd estimate I've played a hand in over 1,000, which I guess makes me a break up master. Now, sometimes we're simply fighting over the allocation of debt, and that is sad, but most of the time I'm dealing with complex financial entanglements, some of which involved billions. At the end of the day, however, it is my ability to detach that helps me think clearly-- it is just numbers to me-- a business deal gone bad, and now I have to unravel it. Putting the emotions aside, it is actually a very methodical process that I have to go through to help two parties separate. Here are some key points: (1) Talk about whether the house is being sold or is one party going to stay and cover the expenses. (2) Joint bank accounts need to be closed or frozen. (3) Joint credit cards have to be paid off and closed. (3) Beneficiary forms need to be updated. (4) Safety deposit boxes should be cleared out together. (5) Estate forms have to be revised while you immediately void any powers of attorneys or living wills that the other may have access to. (6) Each individual needs to do his/her own budget, and the party looking [...]
Angels & Demons
Long before I ever read Dan Brown's book, Angel and Demons, I would hear stories at church or through my grandmother about the constant presence of good and bad spirits around us. Little did I realize then that these tales were prepping me for what I would have to encounter on a daily basis professionally. Every day I hear about wrongs that need to be righted. When people get divorced, it often brings out the worst in them. All their deep-seeded fears rise to the surface, and the other person that once was their sworn ally for life becomes their arch enemy. Left to their own devices, they may easily go for scorched Earth, but with the right professional intervention it is possible to re-align their interests in a way that both can move passed this unfortunate parting of ways without completely annihilating one another. Outside of my professional life, I have often encountered gentle souls in seemingly random moments that I highly doubt are attributable to pure luck. The fact is I stopped believing in coincidences long ago, and based on my experiences (not simple belief) have truly come to appreciate the beauty of divine intervention. I have a multitude of bizarre encounters that have occurred over the last 40 years-- enough for a whole novel, not just a blog. [...]
Wiping the Slate Clean
We all get into arguments at home-- that is normal, but at the end of each fight do you feel closer? Do you feel like you understand each other better? Do you feel like you got to a real resolution? These are key questions. If with each and every fight you bring out the worse in each other and you lose more and more respect, then Houston we've got a problem. Gottman warns that in the final stage of a relationship there are 4 tell-tale signs: (1) the problems seem severe; (2) talking seems useless; (3) you start living parallel lives and (4) lonliness sets in. Every day when I meet with my clients getting divorced, I hear the same thing-- the good memories no longer outweigh the bad ones, and they simply can't wipe the slate clean and start fresh-- they just need out. Before it gets to the point of no return, there are ways that people can learn to fight better-- in a respectful manner. Without name-calling, making threats, giving ultimateums or stonewalling, it is possible to present a strong case for how you feel about something. The reason we try to establish rules upfront is to prevent having bad behaviors create irrepairable damage. Love is so fragile, and you need to treat it gently. Pouring acid over each other [...]
Do You Prefer to be Liked or Respected?
If you had to pick one-- which would it be? This was the question asked by Jon Meacham at an event I attended on Friday. He says you can tell a lot about a politician by the answer to this question, and some of the examples he gave included Bill Clinton (clearly one driven by the need to be liked) versus Pres. Obama (who undoubtedly values respect more than winning some popularity contest). Especially when dealing with an alpha male or female, keep this in mind: Nothing will trigger a more viceral reaction than being disrespected. After coming from New York, having worked really hard to get to a certain level, and dealing with one crisis after another all day, I admit nothing is going to set me off more at the end of the day than thoughtlessness-- don't park in my spot, break promises, make demands or dismiss my concerns. Luckily, I have no problem telling people when to back off, and after I'm done, I can thaw and move on-- but not everyone around me can. This has taken me a long, long time to grasp. There are I think many more that are concerned with being liked, and many non-New Yorkers or non-litigators that don't really get the whole respect thing, having an attitude in the beginning, being a bit biting or sacrastic, and later [...]