Don Saunders

Don Saunders

Family & Civil Mediator | Florida Supreme Court Certified Family & County Mediator | Parenting Coordinator

Annapolis, Maryland | Serving Maryland & Florida

Professional Overview

Don Saunders is a professional mediator and Parenting Coordinator based in Annapolis, Maryland, providing family, divorce, business, and civil mediation services throughout Maryland, as well as virtual family and county mediation services for parties in Florida.

A Florida Supreme Court Certified Family and County Mediator, Mr. Saunders has mediated hundreds of disputes involving divorce, parenting arrangements, business relationships, contracts, property matters, and other civil conflicts. His practice focuses on helping individuals, families, businesses, and attorneys resolve disagreements through structured, impartial discussions and practical negotiation.

Mr. Saunders brings more than 40 years of executive leadership, entrepreneurship, business negotiation, and organizational management to his mediation practice. This professional background provides valuable perspective when disputes involve financial decisions, business relationships, property interests, or the challenges of maintaining productive communication during conflict.

In family matters, he works with parents and separating spouses to address custody arrangements, parenting plans, financial disagreements, and ongoing co-parenting concerns. In business and civil disputes, he helps participants identify underlying interests, evaluate potential outcomes, and explore workable settlement options.

His approach emphasizes preparation, balanced participation, respectful communication, and agreements developed by the parties themselves.

Family, Divorce & Parenting Mediation

Mr. Saunders mediates family and domestic relations disputes involving divorce, child custody, parenting arrangements, financial obligations, and post-divorce disagreements.

His family mediation services include:

• Divorce and separation disputes
• Child custody and visitation arrangements
• Parenting plans and time-sharing schedules
• Child support and alimony disagreements
• Marital property and financial division
• Post-judgment modifications
• Co-parenting communication and conflict resolution
• High-conflict family disagreements

Mr. Saunders helps parents address both immediate concerns and the practical responsibilities that continue after separation or divorce.

When children are involved, his approach emphasizes constructive communication, workable parenting arrangements, and consideration of the children's ongoing needs.

Parenting Coordination

In addition to mediation, Mr. Saunders serves as a Parenting Coordinator, assisting separated and divorced parents experiencing recurring disagreements over parenting responsibilities.

Parenting coordination focuses on helping parents implement existing parenting arrangements, improve communication, and address disputes that can arise after a divorce or custody agreement.

Areas of assistance include parenting-plan implementation, scheduling and time-sharing disagreements, communication difficulties, recurring co-parenting conflicts, and issues involving compliance with existing parenting arrangements.

Mr. Saunders works to help parents reduce unnecessary conflict, maintain greater consistency for their children, and develop more productive ways to address future disagreements.

Parenting coordination services are distinct from mediation and are provided within the applicable professional and jurisdictional requirements.

Business & Commercial Mediation

Drawing on more than four decades of executive and entrepreneurial experience, Mr. Saunders also mediates business and commercial disputes involving financial interests, contractual obligations, and ongoing professional relationships.

His business mediation practice includes:

• Business partnership and ownership disputes
• Contract and service agreement disagreements
• Business dissolution and separation matters
• Financial and payment disputes
• Organizational and management conflicts
• Vendor and commercial relationship disputes
• Small business disagreements

His professional experience includes negotiating business agreements, managing organizations, addressing operational challenges, and resolving conflicts involving competing financial and commercial interests.

This background informs his work with business owners, professionals, and attorneys seeking practical alternatives to extended litigation.

Civil & Property Mediation

Mr. Saunders also provides mediation services involving civil disagreements between individuals, businesses, and other parties.

His stated practice areas include real estate and property disputes, landlord-tenant matters, neighborhood conflicts, probate and estate disagreements, elder care disputes, and other civil matters involving contractual or financial obligations.

He assists participants in identifying the issues in dispute, clarifying their respective positions, and considering settlement arrangements that may address several related concerns within a single resolution.

Mediation Approach

Mr. Saunders practices a facilitative approach to mediation, emphasizing impartiality, active listening, respectful participation, and practical problem-solving.

Rather than imposing decisions, he helps parties evaluate their circumstances, communicate their priorities, and explore agreements they can voluntarily accept.

His executive and business background provides an additional perspective when disputes involve financial complexity, continuing relationships, or difficult decisions affecting families and organizations.

His objective is to help parties reach informed, realistic agreements while reducing unnecessary expense, uncertainty, and conflict.

Professional Background & Credentials

Before concentrating on dispute resolution, Mr. Saunders spent more than 40 years in executive leadership, entrepreneurship, business development, and organizational management.

His professional experience includes business negotiation, financial decision-making, operational oversight, and the management of complex interpersonal and commercial relationships.

Geographic Service Areas

Maryland

Based in Annapolis, Mr. Saunders provides family, divorce, business, and civil mediation services to individuals, attorneys, and businesses throughout Maryland, with in-person and virtual mediation options.

Florida

As a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family and County Mediator, Mr. Saunders provides virtual mediation services for eligible family and county civil disputes throughout Florida.

Although physically based in Maryland, he is available to work with Florida attorneys and parties remotely, subject to the requirements applicable to the matter.