Michael Lang
In the relative quiet of sheltering during the pandemic, I woke up one morning a couple of weeks ago to an email from Peter in Dublin, he said that he had a mad idea and suggested we produce a book to help families strained by forced confinement and shoved suddenly into reconfiguring their lives by the impact of COVID-19. The ebook you are reading is the product of that idea, possible only because of the generous and inspired contributions from more than 70 professionals and as a result of Peter’s unflagging efforts to format, illustrate and produce the book.
This book is not my first adventure in publishing with Peter and our long term collaborator Fiona. We are in the middle of developing on a series of books for people who are considering or in the process of separation and divorce. That series, Divorce and Separation: A Practical Guide to Making Smart Decisions, supported by the exceptional work of local editors, now includes editions for 5 states, with versions for 10 more states in process – eventually we will get to every state in America.

Peter Nicholson
This has been a worldwide project from the initial idea that took wings when my very dear friend and colleague Michael suggested that we reach out to Mediators around the world and ask if anyone was interested in assisting us in this very short term adventure.It took about twenty minutes after he sent out a few emails before we got our answer. Leading mediators and related professionals stepped up to the challenge.
Over one week, we received terrific pieces of crafted knowledge and handed it over to my team in OGX, who turned it into this book while putting up with Michael and my never-ending requests for changes and inputs!
I want to thank everyone involved, especially Michael, and sincerely hope these messages in these pages get into the hands of people that need it right now. Lastly, I would like to thank Karen, my beautiful wife, who has put up with me over the last thirty years or so but especially during the previous two mad weeks of developing this book.

All Contributors
The contributors to this book are professionals who help families in distress. In this time of crisis, we want to use our knowledge and experience to help make life just a bit better for families during the pandemic. We come from 10 countries. We are mediators, lawyers, politicians, financial experts, mental health, and child experts.
Mary-Anne Popescu
Louisa Whitney
Tiziana Magnaghi
Lorraine Segal, M.A.
Delma Sweeney
American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML)
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC)
Georgia Daniels
Dale Bagshaw, PhD
Forrest (Woody) Mosten
Arnie Shienvold
Academy of Professional Family Mediators (APFM)
Darby Munroe
Morghan Leia Richardson
Susan S. Raines, PhD
Hilary Linton
Laurie Amaya, Esq.
Margaret Considine
Sue Bronson
Sue Atkins
Sue is the Parenting Expert for Disney Junior UK and has recorded podcasts and Facebook Live Tea Parties around ‘Parenting Hacks’ & has started filming parenting video tips with The Mummy Diaries TV Series.
Larry Fong
Jodie Grant
Julie McAuliffe
Robin Brzobohatý
Louise Phipps Senft
David Gray
Leah Hadley
Lisa Sundquist
Tammy Lenski, Ed.D.
Tzofnat Peleg-Baker
Amanda D. Singer
Kelley Hopkins-Alvarez
Shauna Lardner
www.blackrockmediation.ie – shauna@blackrockmediation.ie
Devika Sammy
Tracey-Leigh Wessels
Keave O’Donnell
Jane Cooksey
Jenifer Joy Madden
Honey Hastings
Sharon Morrissey
Peter Boyle
Lori Lustberg
Anna M. Saczuk
Website: annasaczuk.com
English FB profile: www.facebook.com/pg/internationalmediator
Polish FB profile: www.facebook.com/Anna-Saczuk-Mediator-Rozwi%C4%85zuj%C4%99-problemy-w-rodzinie-i-biznesie-102986641344983
Alison Bull
alison.bull@mills-reeve.com – www.mills-reeve.com
Doírín Mulligan
doirinmulligan@gmail.com
Pegotty and Randy Cooper
Randall R. Cooper, MBA, CFP®, CDFA®, CDC®; Supreme Court of Florida Certified Family Mediator. Co-Authors: Divorce: Overcome the Overwhelm and Avoid the 6 Biggest Mistakes and Divorce: Taking the High Road
Andi Paus
Donald T. Saposnek, Ph.D.
David Hubbard
Katie Bennett
Dan Murphy
Tania Perlin
Contact: tania.perlin@gmail.com
Greg Rooney
He is a Director of the Mediator Standards Board that regulates the Australian National Mediation Accreditation Scheme. He has, since 2012, co-facilitated an annual mediation Retreat in Tuscany Italy. Website: www.gregrooney.com.au
Stephen K. Erickson
Marie Freeman
Josepha Madigan
Josepha is a national legislator. She proposed and won a referendum to reform Ireland’s divorce laws. She has also drafted legislation on family law and contempt of court. Prior to her appointment as Minister, Josepha served on the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee, the Future of Healthcare Committee, and was the Chairperson of the Budgetary Oversight Committee. She was a Fine Gael Councillor for the Stillorgan Ward on Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, from May 2014 until her election as a T.D. Josepha practiced as a solicitor for twenty years. She won Family Lawyer of the year at the Irish Law Awards 2014.
Josepha is also an author of a handbook for family lawyers and their clients entitled “Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Ireland” (Jordan Publishing, 2012).
She studied at Mount Anville School, Trinity College Dublin and Blackhall Place.
Margaret Ross
Rosemarie Ferrante
Susan Allan
Josh Kraus
Andi Paus
Susanne Terry
Mark B. Baer
Virginia L. Colin
Kelly Gering
Specializing in high-conflict scenarios, Kelly serves on the Nebraska State Supreme Court’s Office of Dispute Resolution panel of private mediators helping families to create solutions that are sustainable and healing. Complimenting her private practice, Kelly is also a special faculty member in Creighton University’s graduate program in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution.
Marilyn McKnight
Ellice Halpern
Joyce Odidison
Lorraine Schaeffer
Chip Rose, JD
Kristyn Carmichael
Kenneth Cloke
and first President of Mediators Beyond Borders. He has published 15 books on conflict resolution, recently The Crossroads of Conflict and Politics, Dialogue and the Evolution of Democracy.
Linda Fieldstone
Fiona McAuslan
Over the last ten years, Fiona has worked with Peter Nicholson and Michael Lang on many publications such as the SALT Programme, a teacher resource programme that introduces appropriate conflict resolution and negotiation skills to children. The resolving book series includes Resolving bullying, Anger, Sibling Rivalry, and Bereavement and, more recently, the “Living with Separation and Divorce in Ireland” book that is now in the process of syndication in the US with a specific book for each state.
Email f.mcauslan@gmail.com and visit www.saltprogramme.com and www.resolvingbooks.com