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
Can You Boost Social IQ?
Sadly, in my professional life, I've seen a lot of brilliant people make very poor personal choices. Over the past decade, it's become clear to me that a person's IQ has NO direct correlation to his/her social IQ-- and some are just beyond hope after a certain age. Luckily, there is hope for our kids! Cathi Cohen, who wrote "Raise Your Child's Social IQ" was a great guest on Making It Last, and she was gracious enough to share some great tips for parents that may be struggling with kids that just weren't born with that gene that makes some of us naturally inclined to make friends, read social cues, etc. A lot has to do with setting appropriate goals, and checking in regularly with your kids. Something she said really resonated, and that is for parents to try to praise the effort, not necessarily the results. For some kids that are shy, it simply isn't easy to join in with a group or start up a conversation with a complete stranger. These things can take time. What our kids need more than anything from us is to be loved and accepted, so it really is important to keep up the encouraging words. While we are not trying to force an introvert to become an extrovert, it is our job [...]
Silver Lining to the Fiscal Cliff
The last couple of years have been tough on everyone-- believe me, I see everyone from all walks of life coming through my door with really bad stories-- some are just better at hiding the pain than others. People have lost so much in terms of their home values, retirements, job security, etc. The instability around us looms like a dark cloud over everyone, and I know it is hard to find the silver lining here-- but there is one: people are not discarding their vows as easily as they once did, and when they do choose to divorce, they are now increasingly opting for out-of-court settlements. Many people now come to me for a consult to understand what the dark side of divorce can look like, but more and more I see people thinking long and hard before actually pulling that trigger. While I am not in favor of having people stay in a loveless marriage to preserve a comfy existence, I do believe in putting forth your best efforts to making marriage work. Keeping a marriage together in the 21st century is full of challenges, but trust me that the grass is not greener on the other side. Rallying together to confront a crisis can be a tremendous bonding experience. If despite your best efforts, you can't resolve [...]
The Adoption Process on Making It Last
In this segment of Making It Last, I interviewed Jennifer Fairfax about the adoption process, and I also shred a bit about finding my dad after 38 years. Thankfully about 90% of adoptions now are open, so the children can always choose to contact their biological mothers. Here is the link to our 25 minute segment covering this topic: http://mmctv.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=3&clip_id=754 By Regina A. DeMeo, Esq.
Tips to those 30 and younger
This week, I will have the honor once again to guest lecture at Georgetown Law Center. It's always a thrill to connect with these bright young minds, but now more than ever I feel the need to warn them about some of the challenges that will lie ahead in the upcoming years. Among the many things I'd wish someone would have explained to me, here are a few: (1) Live and let live- You probably won't "get" the 75% that never finished college, and they won't necessarily "get" you. It's ok, as long as you don't pass judgment on one another's life choices. (2) Keep an open mind. Through law school, life came with a clear cut plan-- after you get that degree, many of your plans may well get thrown out the window. You may not get married when you want to, or you may get divorced when you least expect to; you may not get the job you imagined having; your friends may all scatter. The more you can adapt to life's twists and turns, and not try to control everything, the better off you will be. (3) Not all efforts get rewarded. Some clients are impossible to make happy; some bosses will be terrible about positive affirmation; companies can lose funding and may have to let good [...]