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
The Importance of Closure Conversations
Over the last 14 years as a divorce lawyer, I've seen a lot of crap. The worst, however, is when someone is blind-sided by the divorce. It may seem hard to believe, but some spouses had no idea that anything was wrong, and to add insult to injury the other spouse often leaves without ever giving an explanation. Maybe those that quietly exit are trying to avoid a confrontation or want to spare the other person from any unpleasantness that may bubble to the surface during a last encounter. Perhaps the goal is to not say anything further to hurt the other, but the fact is that if you leave a person in the dark as to what went wrong, you leave that person always wondering, always doubting, and perhaps preventing them from ever being able to move forward. How can you learn from your mistakes if no one ever tells you what you are doing wrong? Whether it is a friend, relative or lover that I have walked away from, I have always tried to give some insight as to why the relationship is being terminated. There are ways to have these discussions without obliterating the other person's ego-- you may have to prep for it, think in advance of what you need to say, as well as what [...]
The Importance of Having a Good Life Panel
In the legal world, you can't have one person act as prosecutor, judge and jury. The whole American system in fact is set up on the premise that we need checks and balances to avoid an abuse of power. So how about applying the same concepts in your personal life? When I get mad, I know my judgment is clouded-- that is why I have a panel. My go-to people who can weigh in and help me see things from a different perspective. Some people rely on just a BFF-- there are so many problems with that, but here are just a few: 1) friends come & go from your life, you can't have all your eggs in one basket; 2) ideally, you marry your best friend, and your spouse is bound to piss you off-- so you need someone else to peel you back off the ledge every now and then; 3) sometimes people have their own agenda or their perspective may be tainted by their own past. There are of course times when you won't have time to convene a panel, and a decision must be made on the spot. When that happens, you need to go with your gut. As Malcolm Gladwell said in Blink, sometimes what seem like snap decisions are actually a reflection of our [...]
Are Your Areas of Life in Sync?
Lately there has been a surge in the use of life coaches. I'm excited to have one as my guest in an upcoming segment in December. Turns out my dating expert, Amy Schoen, who will be the guest on this week's show is also a certified life coach, and her view is that first she needs to help her clients gain insight into their values and life goals by going through an analysis of the "areas of life." Only after her clients have worked through this can she help them identify traits they will want to look for in a life partner. It makes perfect sense that you would want someone that shares your vision of what would make for a good life. Sadly, I'm not sure most of us go into the dating world with a clear vision of what we really want in a partner. I think generally we go out in order to have fun, and we hope to find someone who will join us in enjoyable experiences. (That is classic dating in the hook up culture). We all know, however, that the honeymoon doesn't last forever. So, if you want something that will last, most life coaches will recommend that you see whether your core values are in sync with your potential partner. The critical areas [...]
An Engagement Contract?
They say opposites attract, but can they last??? I guess that depends on whether they share enough core values and have a common vision of what life will be like together. We've all heard about realists falling for dreamers. It is quite common for extroverts to attract introverts. The one who sees the glass as half-empty is usually drawn to the one that sees the glass as half full. The city chick, who partied like a rockstar can fall for the low-key guy that loves the burbs. But, the million dollar question is will it work in the long-run? If you can continue to respect each other's differences, while making a commitment to always work on finding common ground, I think it can last. Rather than just winging it or waiting until the big wedding day to make certain promises, I'm in favor of an engagement contract. If we are talking about walking down that aisle, let's seriously negotiate the rules of engagement going forward. Here would be my top 10: 1. Listen to each other’s concerns and try to provide positive feedback, realizing negative comments are not helpful; 2. Be compassionate and support one another; 3. Appreciate the efforts each has made towards building the relationship (you can never say thank you too much); 4. Be respectful of the [...]