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
Are You Trying To Negotiate With The Devil?
Some people just cannot be reasoned with, they simply will not budge. The art of compromise is not part of their emotional tool box- so it's either their way or the highway. When you hit this wall (and we all do at some point with toxic people) the question actually becomes quite simple: is it worth the fight or should you just give in and walk away? Answering this question, however, is not so simple-- but here is some food for thought: 1. How well do you know your enemy? If you are going to fight, you better know your opponent's weak points and strengths. And you need to consider what do they have on you and what are they capable of doing? Are they willing to borrow, beg and steal to fight to the bitter end? If so, can you (and those around you) stomach that? 2. What resources are at your disposal? Is there even a higher power you can appeal to if the other person won't budge, and what are the transaction costs involved with that process? A common phrase we use with clients contemplating litigation is that we all have principles worth fighting for-- but can you afford the fight? Literally, before you go to war you have to have a war chest. 3. Is there [...]
What Is “Ours” Versus “Yours” or “Mine”?
This is a question that plagues me every day-- either in my prenup consults or with those about to embark in the divorce process. Explaining the law is easy, but getting couples to agree on what should be part of the marital pie is often not easy at all. With a prenuptial agreement, couples can redefine upfront what will be considered separate versus marital during their marriage. Some choose to waive a right to making any claims for alimony in the event of divorce, others prefer to set caps on the duration and/or amount. To a detached person acting like a scribe, these may seem like straight-forward issues, but as I sit there talking it through with my clients the reality is there are a lot of complicated emotions that need to be flushed out well before each couple says "I do." Throughout the years, I have come to understand that there is a wide range of attitudes out there about what people feel entitled to in a marriage. Not everyone agrees that everything accumulated during a marriage through employment efforts and savvy investments should be "ours." Particularly, those that are over 40 and/or entering a second marriage with assets are much more prone to want to protect their own nest eggs and minimize the risk of having someone else [...]
Are You Challenging Yourself Enough?
If you are feeling a bit bored, or complacent, and you are tired of the same old, same old then it is obvious you need to challenge yourself a bit more. If you want to shake things up, here are 3 key areas to consider working on: 1. Professionally- what goals have you set recently? What steps are you taking to achieve those goals? Long after we have completed our studies and established our careers, we need to continue to find opportunities for learning and expanding our minds. Thankfully there are plenty of great webinars or continuing education programs out there, and if you feel you need some personal assistance find a mentor or career coach that can give you an extra push in the right direction. 2. Personally- are your personal relationships bringing you joy and/or helping you grow emotionally? If not, it's definitely time to try something different, and since you can't force others to change, focus on yourself. Are your expectations too high of others? Do you make a lot of assumptions? Both of these tendencies can cause you major disappointment. At the other end of the spectrum, maybe you are the one that is self-sabatoging? Do you have some self-destructive tendencies or bad habits that you need to break? Work on yourself-- only once you do [...]
Are You Making Some Bad Decisions?
Realizing something is wrong is half the battle, so cut yourself some slack. If you don't feel like you are at your best, work through those feelings and identify the source of your stress so you can address it, otherwise things most likely are just going to get worse, and the more irritated you are the more likely you are to make some really bad decisions. Why? Well think of it this way- if a car's alignment is off, the more you keep driving it the worse it will handle. The same is true with humans. When you run a diagnostic on yourself (something that usually works better when you talk it through with another individual) there are 8 areas of life that you want to take into account: 1. Finances- is your budget balanced? Cash flow issues are a huge source of stress, and to resolve them you either need to (1) tap into savings; (2) increase your income or (3) decrease your spending. Easier said than done, I know, but this is where consulting an expert might be incredibly beneficial. 2. Work- are you satisfied with what you are doing? Given that most of us spend 40 hours a week or more at work, it is important that we feel valued, and I do not just mean well [...]