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
Making It Last
Tonight, my new tv show "Making It Last" will air for Montgomery Municipal Cable. The irony is not lost on me that I am a divorce lawyer trying to help families make it last. The fact is, after 14 years of helping families split up, I would like to see if I can do the reverse and help them stay together-- maybe not under one roof, but at least to embrace the notion that you can still be a family under two separate roofs. Since my own divorce, this has been my own reality, and so I know it can be done. Two people that bring children into this world may not make great roommates, but they can still work together to be good parents. Our kids deserve for us to make our best efforts, and there are so many wonderful resources in this area to ensure that families have ever chance at succeeding if their goal really is to produce a healthy, well-adjusted child. The journey that got me to the point where I am find myself today was by no means straight-forward or methodically plotted out. Many people opened my eyes along the way, and shared their ideas for a better future. Because I deal with very difficult issues every day, and I've seen more pain than many [...]
Returning to Your Roots
There is an old saying, which I love-- you need to give a child roots and wings. The roots will keep him/her grounded, but they need wings to fly. This past weekend, I was able to return to Andover, which holds a very special place in my heart. 25 years ago, I was given the opportunity to attend this elite boarding school in New England, thanks to a scholarship, which changed my life forever. Funny thing is that my best friend, whom I met on my very first day as we both settled into our dorm together, was actually a legacy child, very much acclamated to the New England culture that I found so foreign. Among the many ironies in this friendship that has spanned over half my lifetime, is the fact that at first, she was quite homesick and really just wanted to go home. I could not comprehend this logic at all-- to me, it seemed like we were in paradise. This beautiful, safe campus, which tried to promote a completley egalitarian society, rewarded us based on talent and merit, regardless of where we came from, and it was instilled into us early on that our gifts were meant to be shared. We were taught that with the gift of knowledge came the responsiblity of helping others, and [...]
The Phases of Dating
Phase I- this is the fun part, where you go on some fun dates, play 20 questions, determine if there is any chemistry, and if so, you may plan fun weekend getaways together. This phase is the one full of adrenaline, and it is like a cocaine high for many-- I always tell people to just enjoy it while it lasts. Phase II- you have a talk about being exclusive, hopefully exchange STD test results, and establish some check-in procedures. You also start to leave things at each other's place-- small things, like a toothbrush, shampoo, maybe a change of clothes. You start enjoying down time, just cooking at home and watching t.v. You meet each other's friends and family, and go on an extended vacation together. Phase III- for those that just want to have fun, they are pretty happy just staying in Phase II-- and typically (althougth not always) women are the ones that want to push the issue of where are we heading with this? Phase III is hard, and this is why many will never get there. For those who deluded themselves into thinking that they could coast once they got to Phase III, they are in for a rude awakening. When things really get serious and you take about co-habitating and c0-mingling your finances, this [...]
TomKat’s Divorce- A Lesson for Everyone
For those who will miss tonight's segment on Acesso Legal with my comments, here are some of the key points to be gleaned from Tom & Katie's divorce: (1) 50% of divorces occur within the first 7 years of marriage, so it is of no surprise that if things started going awry here, this was the perfect time to bail; (2) There is a 17 year age difference here-- Tom just turned 50, and Katie is 33. Research shows that women really grow into their own skin in their 30's and motherhood significantly changes many of us. Our priorities change, and children often become our primary focus, much to the chagrin of some partners. So, here we have a young mother going through a major transformation, and meanwhile, Tom, who is now 50 and already accustomed to being a father, is simply in a different stage of life. (3) If you have 2 parents with differing views on major issues, like religion, medical care and education, you are going to have some major clashes. These are fundamental areas that parents have to reach an agreement on if they are going to successfully co-parent their children. If the two can't decide, then some arbitrary person hearing the custody matter will wind up issuing an order that everyone will have to live [...]