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
Celebrating a COVID Valentine
It's hard to believe how much life has changed in just a year, as last Valentine's Day was probably the last "normal" holiday we had before COVID hit. Honestly, I'm not sure if I remember how to walk in high heels, and while restaurants here are finally reopening at 25% capacity indoors, it's going to take me a while to work up to that. But those are small challenges in comparison to the daunting task of finding someone I'd even want to celebrate Valentine's Day with-- and thankfully I know I'm not alone on that front.Throughout the years, I have celebrated just about every version you can think of for Valentine's Day--either as someone's significant other or as a single woman enjoying Galentine's Day with my other fabulous single friends, and even as the host of an anti-Valentine's Day party, where we took turns bashing a heart-shaped pinata. But now it's COVID, and after discovering my ex is a serial cheater (who then became my stalker when I called it quits) I now face the most bizarre Valentine's Day of all. But thankfully, God has a sense of humor and in that vein I received an invite to a Zoom wedding, which I am actually really looking forward to attending. Valentine's Day I've learned is what you make of [...]
Exiting A Toxic Relationship
Regina DeMeo, a top family law attorney in MD and DC with over 20 years of experience, interviews psycho-therapist Robin Tucker, who provides 6 key indicators you are in a toxic relationship and explains the importance of no-contact after you exit. To help you heal and move forward, Robin provides several resources.
Tips For Exiting A Toxic Relationship
Do you find yourself avoiding home because somehow it doesn't feel safe? That when you are home, it feels like you are walking on eggshells? Does your partner screen all your calls and/or tries to micro-manage your finances, relationships with others and daily activities? Do you feel unsafe and that you must constantly filter your thoughts? These are all huge red flags that you are not in a healthy relationship.While I am a huge believer in avoiding black and white thinking in relationships, some things are clear cut. Love should not be "complicated." You should be able to relax around your partner, speak freely and trust that even if you disagree on something you will both maintain a minimal level of respect, i.e. avoid name-calling, sarcasm, cynicism, or stone-walling. Neither one should feel empowered to make unreasonable demands or ultimatums. You should respect each other's boundaries, and never doubt the commitment to the relationship.We all look for a major lapse of judgment as the cause for a break-up, i.e. infidelity, but sometimes it's an accumulation of micro-aggressions that have cut deep without leaving any visible scars, which I call death by a thousand paper cuts. Either way, leaving an unhappy situation is the most complicated part of all, particularly the longer you have been together and the more entangled [...]
Don’t Just Survive, But Thrive Post-Divorce
Divorce sucks, regardless of whether it was mutual, you initiated it or the decision was made for you. Legal experts can help you separate your assets and financial obligations, as well as develop a custody and support arrangement that the courts can approve, but a mental health professional is the one that provides confidential emotional support throughout the process to get you to a better space. A divorce coach is a fantastic option for someone that just needs a professional trained to provide strategies and encouragement to get you to move forward. They can help with Parenting Plans and communication protocols, along with crisis management. But, what if you want to take a deeper dive? Therapists have the added training to help you long after the legal proceedings are over, to process the grief, loss, anger and doubt inevitably created as a result of the divorce. It's important to un-package what happened in your marriage before moving to your next relationship. A therapist helps you look at patterns of behavior and challenges some deep-seeded beliefs that might be hindering your ability to form healthy romantic relationships. They help us accept the end of the marriage, which has come to its logical conclusion, and work on shifting our thinking, so we see this new life as an opportunity, not just [...]