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
5 Healthy Tips for Dealing with Anxiety
These are very scary times-- very few people have job security anymore; the stock market keeps fluctuating; we hear about riots in London; and signs of an economic recovery anytime soon are not readily available to anyone. Particularly for those who like to plan, the chaos we are living with today can cause a lot of anxiety.Some people internalize their anxiety, others lash out. In my cases, I see a lot of the negative behaviors people engage in to relieve stress, such as drugs, alcohol and extra-marital affairs. Instead, of making matters worse, I would like to remind people of some very healthy coping mechanisms available to help relieve stress: 1. go work out or take a walk outside; 2. talk with your friends/colleagues/family; 3. get a 1 hour massage or other spa treatment; 4. decompress for 2 hours by watching a movie or reading a book; 5. take a mini-vacation.If you find that despite all efforts to deal with stress, you are having problems focusing, eating, sleeping, or that your moods are incredibly volatile, you may want to seek professional help. Talking to a therapist when these symptoms arise is critical to preventing a major problem later down the line.
Divorcing Parents Need to Make the Best of a Bad Situation
When I began practicing family law over a decade ago, my goal was to help others through a difficult time in their lives by zealously representing their interests. As time went on, however, I realized that sometimes what my clients needed most was a reality check– a voice of reason that would point out to them that some battles were not worth pursuing. The sad truth is that litigation is expensive, and sometimes fighting over principle bears a price tag that is just too great. Litigation also lessens the possibility of preserving any goodwill between the parties, something that is actually quite precious when you still have to co-parent with your ex-spouse after the divorce. A few years ago, I went through my own divorce. As painful as that experience was, I know that I was quite fortunate compared to most. My ex-husband and I settled our issues quickly and amicably, and over time we have managed to rebuild our friendship. We share custody of our child, who is now 7, and by all accounts seems happy, healthy and well-adjusted. Many of my family members, friends and colleagues have asked me how I have accomplished this, and I have to admit it was not easy. It takes a commitment from both parents to work together, despite their differences, for the [...]
Dealing with Holidays, Birthdays and Summers Post-Divorce
Once a couple separates and has a regular weekly schedule in place, most things do tend to fall into place, but I often have to warn people about the need to prepare for very conflicting feelings around the holidays, birthdays and vacations. When you do not have your children for holidays or birthdays, you need to make plans for yourself to avoid feeling too sad or lonely. It is very hard to have to plan your own birthday when you have not had to do so in years, not in terms of logistics, but rather in terms of emotions. Also, getting yourself holiday gifts, no matter how great they might be, simply will not compare to the thrill that someone else thought of you, what you might like, and went and bought you something as a token of his/her love. When it comes to summers or other vacations, I always suggest that people try to coordinate trips with family or friends. I have to admit, however, that even when I have done this, I still have moments of longing as I see other couples together with their kids enjoying time on the beach, or amusement parks, etc. Not being part of an intact family is hard-- not just on the kids, but their parents as well. Many want to appear [...]
What’s A Realistic Return on Love?
Any good financial advisor will have you fill out a questionnaire to determine your ability to withstand risk, and then s/he will sit down with you and go over what should expect as a realistic return on your investment. If only there were love advisors that could do the same thing!There are many people that expect a lot out of their partners, perhaps more than their partners can realistically give in terms of time, attention or affection. We are not all built the same, and in relationships we have to respect each person's individual capabilities and accept one another's limitations. To expect more from someone than what they are capable of is a recipe for disaster-- the person with unrealistic expectations is going to be disappointed and frustrated, while the other person may wind up feeling totally dejected, or maybe even angry if s/he feels like s/he is constantly being set up to fail.The other day, a friend said to me, "you can never expect a 100% return on your efforts in a relationship. You should do something because you want to do it, but never with the expectation that the favor will be returned to the same degree... Love cannot be measured, so as long as it is there, you need to be okay with that." She is totally [...]