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 Getting Things Done, Your Way?
Let's face it- divorce sucks, even when you do it my way: privately, quietly and quickly. To start life over again, flying solo, is not what most of us had planned to do in our 30's, 40's or beyond... but so what? Life rarely plays out exactly how we expected it to, and over half of us, either because of death or divorce, will have to learn as adults to redefine what it means to live happily ever after. Everyone suffers setbacks-- even the rich and beautiful. No one is immune to disease, death or heartbreak. But none of the people I have ever met in the 18 years I have been handling divorces allow themselves to be defined by these setbacks. Not that it is easy for any of us to overcome hardships, but what is the alternative? When I graduated law school 18 years ago, I thought I would have 2 kids with my husband, work at a firm, and have a "normal" life until I retired. I had no intention of becoming a prolific writer and media commentator as a result of my own divorce. My plan was not to raise a child mostly by myself while managing my own law firm. Nor did I envision finding my father at 38, and discovering a wonderful new [...]
What Happened To Collaborative?
Litigation is the opposite of collaborative-- we do not exchange information voluntarily or have 4-way meetings while breaking bread together and engaging in open discussions focused on reaching a settlement. When we are in a court process, there are multiple rules and deadlines, formal questions or requests are made, and statements are taken under oath. A lot depends on strategy, and quite a bit also depends on sheer luck-- like the judge you draw on the day of your trial, or how well your witness presents on the stand. The pressures of litigation are immense, precisely because it is a very unforgiving process involving high stakes. Documents that are not properly authenticated or questions that are not properly asked, will be disregarded. Remedies that are not made in initial pleadings may not be addressed, and statements made by others that might seem relevant will nonetheless be deemed inadmissible unless you have that person there to testify. And while all these battles are playing out in an open courtroom, you know that it is all being recorded to document every mis-step, just in case anyone wants to appeal to a higher court later. So, when you think about the emotional and financial cost of litigation, it is easy to see why most families actually choose to settle their differences rather than [...]
Are You Worried About Parental Alienation?
All separated parents probably have some pretty unflattering things to say about each other, which is why they are no longer together. But, good parents try their best to filter their thoughts so that at least in front of the children they are not broadcasting those negative opinions. Parents that fail to do so, then fall into two categories: those that knowingly denigrate the other parent, and those that unknowingly do so. Regardless of one's intent, however, when someone makes disparaging remarks about a child's parent they have to realize that the person that really is being harmed is the child, not that other parent. It takes two people to create a child, and like it or not, that child will most likely identify with bits and parts of both her creators. Putting down someone's parent is essentially a critique of a child's origin, and psychologically it is not easy for anyone-- child or adult-- to handle that well. Is it easy to keep your mouth shut? Of course not, but take solace in knowing that at a certain age, the child will figure things out on his own. Sooner or later, he will realize who is the one that goes to all the school meetings and doctors appointments; he will see who buys most of his clothes and pays [...]
Are You Paying It Forward?
Sometimes, you just can't pay back an act of kindness. For example, a stranger pays you a compliment and then gets off the elevator, someone anonymously donates to your cause, or a passerby sets you in the right direction, and then disappears. What do you do when that happens? Some of you move on and consider yourself lucky that day, while others feel a tremendous obligation to pay the kindness forward almost as a way to acknowledge that there is a greater force at play here. Those of you that are more spiritual and mindful know exactly what I am talking about when I say that upon receipt of an act of kindness there is not just joy, but an immense sense of responsibility to pay it forward. Some of us have consciously made this part of our daily life, and in doing so have come to understand that the best gifts in life actually are not tangible. You cannot see them, but rather you can feel them deeply: love, happiness and inner peace. To truly appreciate the gifts that life has to offer, however, you have to step out of the rat-race mentality, and you cannot try to just isolate yourself in a little island. You have to get out there and connect with others-- and I mean [...]