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
How Balanced Is Your Budget?
Now that tax season is almost over, we should all have a pretty good grasp of our income and major expenses. The key now, whether you are on your own or with a partner, is to figure out whether you are saving enough or spending too much, and make appropriate adjustments as needed. When I began practicing family law 20 years ago, I had no idea how much time I would be spending with my clients reviewing household budgets. In fact, after educating people on the law, an inordinate amount of my time is often spent on financial literacy, which is a skill that many seem to lack regardless of race, gender or education. In all divorce cases, whether in mediation or divorce court, we spend a significant amount of time analyzing budgets and determining whether a person's expenses are reasonable compared to his/her income. While we understand that a separation throws a household budget off kilter for a while, we want to see that each person has done his/her best to mitigate the damages, including maximizing income and curbing discretionary expenses. If someone is spending more than 30% of his/her gross on housing, that will be something that needs to be explained-- along with any major deviations to the norm for other necessary expenses, including food, medical care, transportation, [...]
Should You Consider a Prenup Before Saying “I Do”?
Wedding season is about to ramp up, and for all those engaged couples that are contemplating a prenup NOW is really when you need to start that process. To reduce the chance of having these agreements challenged or possibly invalidated later in court, matrimonial attorneys will always encourage clients to work on full disclosure with ample time for each party to consult his/her own counsel, and with a strong preference for the final signing to occur at least 30 days BEFORE you say "I do." Many wonder if they need a prenup, which I believe is akin to a safety belt. Do I want the car to crash? Of course not, but just in case I put that seat belt on every time I get into my car. So now if you know the odds of a first-time marriage lasting are about 50/50, and less than 30% of second marriages last, don't you think it's prudent to invest in a document that provides for an orderly separation in the event things do not work out? Some worry about the cost. Well, a prenup probably costs less than what most engaged couples spend on flowers, and unlike those floral arrangements, which will be dead and discarded within days of the wedding, an agreement that defines what is joint vs. separate, and [...]
What’s Your Incentive To Compromise?
In family law, it is well documented that over 90% of cases settle before trial, but the reasons driving such a high rate of settlements is probably less clear to most people, except those of us that have spent decades working with families in the legal trenches. Not only is the court process expensive, but it is also far from speedy or private. As time goes on, many find that living with tremendous uncertainty during a very public display of one's worst life moments takes quite a toll on a person's health and emotional well-being. Many of my clients report issues with sleep deprivation, sudden weight loss or gain, hair loss, lack of focus, increased irritability and compromised immune systems. You don't need to have an M.D. to realize there is a direct correlation between a person's messy divorce and an undeniable deterioration in his/her health. Now if the parents can barely keep it together, just imagine what this is doing to their kids, who rely on the adults for everything. Too often, the children are stuck in the middle watching their parents create chaos while taking needless digs at one another. The uncontroverted research is clear: the more the children are exposed to conflict, the worse off they will be for a very, very long time. So, when we [...]
Should We Just Agree to Disagree?
I realize there are many out there (although none in my immediate circle of friends) that support the President's idea of a wall to limit immigration from countries south of our border, but I am having a really hard time understanding how this can be a "National Emergency." To me, as both a family lawyer in the DC Area for over 20 years and the mother of a young child, there are far more pressing issues like the need for (1) gun control, (2) access for all to good medical care and public education, and (3) getting a handle on this opioid epidemic. Putting aside political views, however, which can always be debated, let's focus on the offensive statements being made by our own political representatives suggesting that all those emigrating from Central and South America are either rapists, drug dealers or gang members. How can we let all these insinuations just slide? My own mother, who came here from South America, was none of those things, and she is one of the hardest workers I have ever met in my life. Luckily, she was able to come to the U.S. legally in the 60's, and later she brought over my grandmother, who helped raise me and then stayed in this country, which granted her citizenship, until her death at [...]