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
Will You Keep It Together For The Holidays?
Thanksgiving is just a month away, and that means many couples will face a very tough decision over the next few weeks– can they keep it together through the holidays, or do they need to bail now? If you find that you cannot hold it together, then the answer should be clear– bail now. There is nothing worse than trying to keep up a facade and make it appear to everyone like everything is fine, when inside you feel like you are dying. The holidays are supposed to be a festive time, but if you feel like you have nothing to celebrate and the last thing on Earth you want to do is buy presents for your partner, then the time has come to be honest with yourself and find a way to gracefully exit. I’m not suggesting this is an easy process to go through, nor one that you should try to tackle by yourself. You need to find an ally and develop a plan, but time is of the essence if you are feeling like a ticking time bomb because the last thing you want to do is explode, especially during the holidays and definitely not in front of little ones. I’ve always been a big fan of lists, and if ever there is a time to carry [...]
What Are Your Rules Of Engagement?
Managing expectations is the key to any successful relationship, but unfortunately most romantic relationships do not start with an upfront negotiation as to the rules of engagement. Instead, we dance around our wants and needs in the beginning, rarely letting on as to our preferred frequency for communication, contact, or time together. We don't typically speak candidly about our attachment styles and triggers, and instead we wait to tackle these issues when we hit a speed bump, often without ever having the benefit of a warning sign. This is usually when things start to go sideways, but what if you tried a different approach from the beginning? Imagine if you could talk to a potential partner early on about what you envision as appropriate boundaries, just as you would in any business dealings. What if you went out on a limb and told this stranger within the first week of meeting that you don't want to waste time on a relationship that isn't exclusive and that your desire is to find a life partner, who can commit to working things out. Could you put your cards on the table and show your vulnerabilities in the beginning of your courtship in order to ensure that this person is able to deal with not just the good and the bad, but [...]
Are You Ready To Meet Your Forever Person?
They say we learn more from our failures than we do from our experiences with sucess, and never has this statement been more accurate then when applied to dating. When everything is super easy you're just riding that cocaine high and enjoying the good times together. But when things become difficult, that is when you really see if the relationship can really go the distance. Ever since I divorced my college sweetheart in 2005, I spent the better part of the past 17 years playing 20 questions. Honestly, it was a great distraction when I wasn't focused on work or raising my son. I personally enjoy mapping people- it's interesting to see where did they come from, where are they now, and where are they heading? And if you enjoy similar activities, it's very easy to get lost in the moment and just enjoy the present without thinking too far down the road as to whether you could ever settle down with this person. Unfortunately, when you are busy having fun, precious time can fly by and before you even realize it you've spent months or perhaps years settling for Mr. Right Now instead of holding out for Mr. Right. This past decade started off with an engagement on my 40th birthday, and six months later I called it [...]
Have You Tried To Quietly Quit At Home?
Quietly quitting, which is defined as doing the bare minimum in response to crappy jobs, low wages, and/or abusive bosses is not a new thing in the workplace, although it certainly has gained momentum during COVID. It's easy to become increasingly apathetic when we don't feel appreciated, and why would you continue to give 100% when it's not being reciprocated? Normally in these situations, I prefer to address conflict directly, but sometimes there is something to be said for taking a more subtle approach, particularly with kids at home. As someone that never quietly quit at work or with a romantic partner, it took me a while to come around to seeing how this tactic might come in handy or apply to my own life, and then it hit me: parenting. Being a single mom to a teenager during COVID has not been easy, and in response to a significant lack of respect or appreciation I admit that I quietly began to pull back in order to regain my equilibrium. The fact is there are only so many years as a parent that you can ignore how your patience, generosity and kindness are taken for granted. And as children are about to launch, they need to learn to take on more responsibility, which is a huge part of adulting. [...]