Areas of Practice

Regina A. DeMeo is a nationally recognized lawyer, lecturer and author who has dedicated over a decade of her legal career to assisting DC and Maryland clients with family law issues, including prenuptial agreements, child support/custody matters or separation agreements and divorce. She has extensive experience in litigation, mediation and Collaborative Divorce, which allows her to develop creative solutions that will promote the best interests of her clients and their families.

  • Alimony/spousal support
  • Child custody/visitation
  • Child Support
  • Collaborative Divorce
  • Divorce
  • Family Law Litigation
  • Mediation
  • Prenuptial Agreements
  • Property Division
  • Property Settlement Agreements
  • Separation Agreements
  • Servicios en Espanol

Initial Consults

An initial consult is the first step towards learning what a prenuptial agreement or separation and/or divorce case may look like for an individual.

In the first meeting, which is completely confidential, the client will learn about his/her rights and obligations arising from a marriage or having a child with another person. The standard issues I help people address are (1) property and debt division, (2) alimony, (3) child support and (4) child custody. In the consult, I review the various options for finalizing a prenuptial agreement or obtaining a separation/divorce. Ultimately, each client must chose his/her own path, and I then assist them with whatever option best suits that client's goals.

Prenuptial Agreements

These contracts are meant to provide engaged couples with peace of mind.

Generally, prenuptial agreements simply set out what a couple wishes to define as separate property versus joint/marital property, and in the event of divorce they lay out how their assets will be divided and how they want to address the issue of alimony. It is best for a couple seeking a prenuptial agreement not to wait until the last minute. Each side must be prepared to provide the other with full financial disclosure, and it is preferred that each party have his/her own attorney to review and negotiate the terms of this contract.

Negotiated Settlements

Some people are able to negotiate their own separation agreements simply by having an attorney that they can occasionally call to consult and obtain advice.

Sometimes a person will want me to negotiate the entire deal on his/her behalf. The negotiation process is usually the first step I take to try to reach a settlement before filing an action in court, and over 50% of my cases are settled in this manner before anyone ever files for divorce.

Divorce Mediation

There are couples that want to jointly retain one attorney to mediate their differences, such that after a few sessions they will have a formal Separation Agreement that resolves all their issues.

As a neutral divorce or custody mediator, I cannot provide either party with legal advice, but I can help them to (i) identify the issues to be addressed, (ii) gather the information needed to generate possible solutions, (iii) discuss the settlement options in a civilized manner, outside of court. Since I was trained in 2006 to mediate family law matters, I have done numerous private mediations for couples. I am also approved by the Circuit Court of Montgomery County and DC Family Court to assist parties with Alternate Dispute Resolution.

Collaborative Divorce

For couples that like the idea of mediation, but want their own attorneys to help them through the process while working together in a non-adversarial manner.

This option mirrors the divorce mediation process, except that it requires each client to sign an agreement committing to the Collaborative Process by stipulating that (i) neither one will file an action in court while the process is in progress and (ii) in the event that they are unable to reach a final agreement, their attorneys are disqualified from continuing to represent them in court. This process is requires the parties to commit to open disclosure of information and to maintain the status quo until there is an agreement on any changes. The parties retain neutral experts to assist with any complex issues, and each party may be assigned a divorce coach, who is a trained mental health professional, to assist with navigating the emotions that arise as part of a divorce.

Litigation

Sometimes, it is simply not feasible to get a person to negotiate in good faith or to agree to mediation or the Collaborative process.

When there are no other options, litigation may be the only way to gather the necessary information to then allow a court to decide how the issues between two parties will be addressed. For over a decade, I have litigated family law cases in the Washington, DC Area. I exclusively focus my litigation practice in DC Family Court and Montgomery County Circuit Court.

Servicios en Espanol

  • Consulta para un divorcio o separacion
  • Acuerdos prenupciales
  • Acuerdos de separacion
  • Custodia o manutencion de los hijos
  • Mediacion familiar

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