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 Tired Of The Apologies?
I love this saying: your partner is like a plank of wood, and saying something mean is like hammering a nail into that plank of wood. You can apologize and remove that nail, but the hole in the plank is still there. And if you do that enough times, the plank will eventually break. Dr. Gottman, who is widely known as the guru of relationships, has written extensively about the importance of conflict resolution in order to make a marriage work. Unfortunately, in the heat of the moment many still forget to avoid what he calls the "four dark horsemen" (1) criticism, including name-calling (2) contempt, (3) defensiveness and (4) stonewalling. When calmer heads prevail, of course we are all capable of apologizing, but to me those are just empty words if the person keeps repeating the same offensive act. At some point, it becomes clear that actions speak louder than words, and all the flattery and/or gifts in the world cannot negate the pain inflicted by the person who has made a commitment to love, honor, respect and cherish you. As people being to approach their breaking point, the question of couples counseling is often raised. For it to truly work, however, both parties need to have a vested interest in repairing the relationship. The two times I [...]
How Quickly Can You Make Lemonade Out Of Lemons?
After dealing with over 1,000 bad break ups professionally (in addition to quite a few of my own) I often feel like Helen, from that 2004 Disney movie "The Incredibles" in the scene where their plane is getting ready to crash land and she tells everyone to "get a grip, we are not going to die." When you discover that your partner has betrayed you, either by hiding an affair, romantic communications with another, an addiction, alarming amounts of debt, poor credit, or simply nasty habits that s/he knew would be deal-breakers for you, the blow feels like a swift kick to your gut and simultaneously a dagger through your heart. It is completely different from coming to the slow realization that you are not compatible after methodically analyzing the information you gathered over multiple rounds of playing 20 questions with someone. The key distinction being that you were blind-sided by the harsh reality that the picture you had been presented with was a complete mirage, and hits you like a Mack truck that quite literally takes your breath away and leaves you feeling shattered. It is not easy to recover from such a blow, and you most certainly won't bounce back overnight. Just as you would seek medical help after a car crash, you need to find [...]
6 Tips For Couples Separating During COVID-19
Parting ways is never easy, but COVID-19 has definitely made my job as a divorce lawyer a lot more challenging these days, particularly while people shelter in place and the Maryland courts remain closed for non-emergencies through June 5th. But those of us that like a challenge are doing our best to rise to the occasion in order to ensure that people remain fully aware of their rights and options while we all adopt to a “new norm.” So here are my 6 key tips for couples looking to separate: Consult a Lawyer- before you make any major changes, you need to get a roadmap from an experienced matrimonial attorney that will explain to you all your obligations, the issues that need to be addressed, and your options for finalizing the divorce process. Consults are done as a flat fee, and your attorney should then be able to give you an estimate of the fees moving forward if you choose to hire him/her on a retainer. Understand Finances- gather all your information pertaining to your income, assets and liabilities and reach out to your financial advisor or CPA with any questions. If you don’t think you can use savings to finance the separation and divorce process, explore all your options for obtaining a loan, and make sure you develop a [...]
Financial Tips For Couples Separating During COVID-19
The Maryland courts have been closed for over a month now, and do not plan to reopen before June 5th, except for emergency matters. For couples separating during COVID-19, the judges are hopeful that alternative dispute resolution methods like mediation or a Collaborative Divorce process will be utilized to reach a resolution outside of court in order to avoid the major backlog in the judicial system. In mediation, you can pay as you go, using one neutral professional to help you address the issues that need to be part of your comprehensive settlement. If you are not comfortable advocating for yourself, then you can opt for a Collaborative Divorce, where each party has his/her own attorney sit in the 4-way meetings, but the two attorneys are committed to working as a team to reach a resolution outside of court. If outside experts are needed, like a financial neutral, divorce coach or child specialist, the family agrees to hire one that is mutually agreed upon. Litigation should always be an option of last resort (at least in my opinion) particularly for families with children, not only because of the expense and time involved, but because you will most likely destroy any possibility for preserving goodwill and being able to co-parent amicably in the future. When choosing the process that you [...]