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
How Do You Stop the Hemmoraging in a Divorce?
Emotions are so raw in a divorce-- anger, sadness, and fear are the most common that I see my clients grapple with every day. For over a decade, it's been my job to guide them through a very painful, personal journey. And yet, the reason it doesn't wear on me is that I am inspired on a weekly basis as I see people face their greatest fears. When I went through my own divorce, and started sharing custody of my son, it definitely changed my approach with my clients-- how could it not? My goal became to stop the pain as quickly as possible-- to stop the hemmoraging of cash in order to preserve as much wealth for the family. Finding legal strategies that can act as immediate tourniquets has become my mission, and I am eternally grateful to have found something I love to do while helping those in need. But here is my one word of caution for those about to embark on their own divorce journey-- the recovery process can (and often does) take years. It should come as no surprise that the same technique I use with my clients (applying tourniquets) I tend to apply in my personal, and particularly emotional life. To stop the pain, I often try to just shut out the emotions and [...]
Title IX Moms
Title IX, which was a key part to gaining equality for men and women, was enacted in 1972, the year I was born. As a result, I grew up always thinking of myself as equal to my male peers, and this continued even through law school. My rude awakening that we are not treated as equals did not occur until I became a mother. I've since learned that I am not alone. Today, men and women are graduating at the same rates from graduate schools and we all can go for any job we want, so who would ever think that anyone would view us differently? Well, as long as you are willing to continue to give 100% of yourself to work after motherhood, you too are in for a stark realization of how things will work in the real world after you become a mother. For the last 8 years, ever since I returned to work from my maternity leave (half of which was unpaid leave), it has been an ongoing struggle to maintain a work-life balance. It has been an incredible challenge, but it has also brought me the greatest rewards. I love being a mom, and I love being a lawyer. In this case, I want to have my cake and eat it too, and it is [...]
Learn to Give Out Compliments
In my former life as an athlete, my coaches constantly critiqued me, and I knew that this was their way of helping me become a better athlete. No one is ever perfect, and so I quickly became accustomed to constructive criticism, and I learned to hold out for that ever so rare moment of praise. That one phrase, "nicely done" is like gold to me-- even now. Unfortunately, those of us that think of praise as gold tend to rarely handed it out. Some people hand it out like candy, and to me that just makes it meaningless. But perhaps there is a happy medium we can all shoot for-- especially with those that we love. No need to do cartwheels over minor things, but I have learned over time the importance of positive praise both at home and in the office. I originally went to numerous executive trainings about this concept to promote a better work environment; then I had to transfer this skill to my home life in order to attempt to raise a well-adjusted child. Along the way, I started applying this technique more and more to friends and significant others, and honestly in addition to seeing how happy it makes others, I have to admit over the last few years it personally has brought me great [...]
Keep an Open Mind- Things Will Change Over Time
It's funny how some things that may have seemed so important years ago, no longer matter now. Before, when I was still open to the idea of having more kids, it mattered whether a potential partner shared this desire, and as a result, it was also important to me whether we had similar religious views. As the years have gone by, my views on these subjects have drastically changed, and now it matters far less whether someone else shares my religious or political views; meanwhile, if I were to meet someone who wants to have kids of his own, that has become an instant dealbreaker for me. As the notion of building a family has become less of a driving force, and instead it's become more about simply sharing time with someone, it matters a lot less whether we are equally good looking, of the same higher education level, or part of the same world. I have come to accept that my ultimate partner may not share the same interests, friends, or musical tastes, and instead I care more about whether I just enjoy his company when we are together. I have come to understand that it is not realistic to expect two lives to merge effortlessly and result in one perfectly blended family situation. Most parents that re-enter the [...]