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
Divorce & Domestic Violence
Tonight on air I get to discuss domestic violence, which research suggests occurs at least once in most divorces-- and I do sincerely mean divorces in all socio-economic classes. Many incidents go unreported, however, and this is not just a female issue. I cannot tell you how many men are ashamed to discuss the violence they have endured. The biggest problem with this issue is that there are often no medical reports, pictures, witnesses or police reports. This means in court we are left with a he-said, she-said dilemma. Realizing that it is normal for tension to run high when a marriage is dissolving, most couples in my experience will often agree to a consent stay-away order, often without a finding of wrong doing in order to protect a person's ability to obtain security clearance or minimize any impact on someone's record. The legal system encourages people to seek anger management classes and will order supervised visits to ensure a child's safety when necessary. Rarely, however, will visitation completely be terminated, and most orders expire after one year unless the original order is violated. In most of my cases, these incidents wind up being the final wake-up call that the family needs to accept just how dsyfunctional things have gotten and that a separation is truly what is best. Too [...]
Lessons from Our Fathers
My very first trial involved an unwed father, who wanted to spend quality time with his son. He did not just want to be an alternating weekend dad, which the mother thought was more than enough. Thankfully, the court agreed with me, and found that it was in the child's best interest to have both parents share physical custody. Ever since then, I have always had a special soft spot for dads willing to step up and be a part of their kids lives, although until recently when I finally found my own father, I could not comprehend the impact these men would have on their children. Six years ago, the late Tim Russert compiled letters from sons and daughters about their fondest memories of their fathers. "Wisdom of Our Fathers" received very positive reviews, but fearing that I would not truly be able to appreciate it, I held off reading it-- until now. I am so glad I finally was able to enjoy the stories of all these children, now grown, sharing little pieces of how their fathers helped to shape them. A recurring theme seems to be that while many men indeed focused on providing for their families, little acts of kindness and/or meaningful talks at a pivotal moment in a child's life, later had a profound and [...]
The Oedipus Complex Revisited
The Oedipus complex, as expanded upon by Freud, has been re-worked in modern psychology to suggest that there is a normal development phase where boys will want to be like their dads and marry their moms. At first that might seem a bit weird to some, but actually it makes sense-- in a healthy family situation, if the mother and son bond is loving and safe, why wouldn't a child want to find someone eventually that has qualities strongly resembling his mom? With this in mind, at an age appropriate moment, I think it is important to start drilling in the notion that being a mom is not interchangeable with being someone's personal chef, maid, and glorified chauffer. I love the fact that my son sees me as a working professional, who is recognized as an expert in her field. He sees me manage money and balance a household budget without any outside assistance, and I have no doubt that he fully understands how much I value intelligence, independance and responsiblity. I may not live to see him get married, but if and when he does, I never want him to feel the pressure of being the sole provider for an entire family. I have seen throughout the years with my own divorce clients, the negative impact that kind of stress [...]
There Are No Guarantees
Every day as a divorce lawyer, I see people face the sad reality that their "happily ever after" has come to a crashing end. I myself got married never expecting it would end in a divorce, with my son being raised in two households. And yet, once you re-adjust to your new life and your new identity, you come to accept what should be an obvious reality in life: there are no guarantees in anything. Those willing to date again re-enter that scene post-divorce with a much more tainted view on relationships than those that have never married or had a spouse pass away. (By tainted, I don't necessarily mean jaded, but it is undeniable that divorce leaves a lasting impact on someone-- you can always hope for the best, but you just never know if it's truly going to last.) And if you are a parent, you then have the added challenge of wanting to shield your kids from any further loss while still showing them that life does go on. When dating post-divorce as a parent, it is important not to let the kids see a revolving door of people. You don't want to send the message that people just come and go in life, and you definitely don't want them to get attached to someone and then have [...]