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
Love and Money
I have to admit upfront that I am a romantic at heart, but over the years I have learned that there is some real value to reining in the emotions and looking at marriage more like a business merger. When you are contemplating a life-long partnership, it really is important to make sure you are on the same page about finances, because in the end if you are not united on this issue, it could tear a marriage apart. We may all have our different missions in life, but at the end of the day, we all need a place to live, food to eat, transportation, clothing and some basic entertainment. With your partner, you need to have some consensus about the household budget, including how much you are going to try and save each month and how you are going to address any debt. It is amazing to me how many of my clients come into the office admitting that only one of the parties knows about the couple's financial condition. I often wonder how many of these marriages could have been saved if the couple had just talked more about the budget and any problems, or sought the advice of a financial planner, before they were faced with a major crisis. As parents, we owe it to our [...]
Keeping It All In Perspective
As a child, I would detach from my reality by either pouring my heart and soul into being an athlete or delving into books. Until the age of 18, I was a hard-core gymnast competing around the country, and from ages 14-25 I focused on my studies at some of the nation's top schools to become a lawyer. Along the way, I traveled through Europe, including extended stays while studying in Paris and Madrid. Each time I moved, I had to leave wonderful people behind, and as the years went by I perfected my ability to detach, and this has served me well professionally given that most of my clients only require my assistance for 12-18 months. As a divorce lawyer, I get to know the most initmate details of people's lives, and I help them through a very difficult time, then they move on and I go onto my next case. At work, I am like a surgeon, performing an amputation without any anesthesia. It is not an easy job, and by the end of the week, I definitely need to take a break from all the sadness. On the weekends, I need to fill my heart and mind with all the great stories about my friends' engagements, upcoming weddings, baby developments, accomplishments at work or home improvements. I [...]
Divorce Makeovers- An Increasing Trend
Last night, at Curve Appeal, I had the pleasure of speaking with one of the hosts, Dr. Michael Cohen, who is the head of the Cosmetic Surgery Center of Maryland. I shared with him my observation that despite the state of our economy, there seems to be a growing trend among my friends and clients, who are doing what I call a "divorce makeover." He confirmed that he has seen the same trend-- and not just among women. For those that need an ego boost before they head back out into the dating world, a little liposuction, tummy tuck or breast augmentation may just be exactly what they need to get back in the game. Surprisingly, the recovery from these surgeries can be remarkably short-- some women have breast surgery on a Thursday and are back to work on Monday. Guys are also getting in on the action wanting to reduce those beer guts and have chin implants for a more chisled look. Luckily for all, as technology has improved and supply of plastic surgeons has increased, prices for these procedures have become far more reasonable, and many surgical centers offer financing. Some of Dr. Cohen's patients, who were very open to discussing their surgical experiences, were models at the fashion show held by Sylene's in Chevy Chase. Part of [...]
The Impact of Learning Difficulties on Relationships
Throughout the years I have learned a lot about how learning difficulties impact families. It turns out that over 80% of families with children that have special needs will wind up getting divorced. The pressures of dealing with this added stress tend to drive an insurmountable wedge between the two parents-- especially when they have grossly different views on how to address their children's issues. This is so sad, especially when you consider that these children are already struggling with their own issues, and now on top of that they get hit with their parent's divorce. I would urge parents of children with special needs to seek family counseling right away-- hopefully to prevent a divorce from ever happening. It would also benefit the couple to learn how the parent with the same issues as the child may still be exhibiting some symptoms, or how s/he is coping with the child's diagnosis. It is very common to be in denial or grapple with feelings of guilt for passing on a genetic trait that might complicate your child's life. Burying those feelings is not healthy, and it will come out in horrible ways. The other day, I came across a great article "I'm OK- You're Not" by Melissa Orlov in the Spring 2011 issue of Additude. (Check out www.additudemag.com) She talks [...]