Sharon Count, CDFA®

Founder & Senior Mediator

My commitment to divorce mediation began with my own experience.

When I made the difficult decision to ask for a divorce, I had no idea that it would lead to 10.5 years of litigation involving 2 trials, an appellate court appeal, 3 parenting coordinators, and 2 court psychiatric evaluators. The financial and emotional toll on our family was immense.

Ultimately, it took the intervention of a skilled mediator to help us step away from the destructive path we were on. That experience changed the direction of my professional life and became the foundation for the Center for Divorce Resolution.

Today, I have successfully mediated more than 800 cases, helping couples address the parenting, financial, and practical decisions necessary to move through divorce and into the next chapter of their lives.

I believe divorce does not have to become a destructive process. Through education, constructive communication, negotiation, and practical problem-solving, I help couples understand their options, work through difficult decisions, and develop agreements that reflect the needs of their family.

My background as a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® also allows me to help couples understand the financial implications of their decisions, including property division, retirement assets, maintenance, child support, housing, taxes, and post-divorce financial planning.

As Founder and Senior Mediator at the Center for Divorce Resolution, I lead our mediation process and work collaboratively with Associate Mediator John Coumbe-Lilley when his background in family systems, communication, and conflict dynamics can provide additional perspective and support.

Having experienced the emotional, financial, and family consequences of prolonged divorce litigation myself, I am committed to helping families find a more informed, respectful, and cost-effective path forward.

Credentials & Professional Affiliations

• Northwestern University – Divorce Mediation Certificate

• CDFA® - Institute for Certified Divorce Financial Analysts®

• Member, Family Law Section of the Illinois State Bar Association

• Member, Illinois Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts

• Founder & Senior Mediator, Center for Divorce Resolution

John Coumbe-Lilley, Ph.D., LMFT

Associate Mediator

My path to divorce mediation grew from both personal experience and more than 30 years of professional work helping people navigate relationships, conflict, performance, and significant life transitions.

I have experienced divorce personally and understand the uncertainty, loss, and difficult decisions that can accompany the end of a marriage. That experience also deepened my awareness of how family conflict and divorce can affect not only spouses, but children and family relationships for years to come.

Professionally, I have spent more than three decades working as an educator, coach, performance psychology practitioner, and mental health professional. As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I have worked with individuals and couples experiencing relationship distress, infidelity and betrayal, high-conflict relationships, uncertainty about the future of their marriage, separation, and divorce.

That background provides an important perspective in mediation. Divorce requires people to make consequential parenting, financial, and family decisions at a time when communication can be difficult and emotions can be high. I help couples slow down those conversations, identify what matters most, communicate more effectively, and work through disagreements constructively.

As an Associate Mediator with the Center for Divorce Resolution, I work collaboratively with Founder and Senior Mediator Sharon Count and within CDR's established mediation process. Sharon brings extensive divorce mediation and financial expertise from more than 800 mediated cases, while my background adds particular depth in family systems, communication, conflict dynamics, and the emotional dimensions of family transition.

Together, our goal is not to eliminate disagreement, but to help couples manage it productively so they can make informed decisions and maintain greater privacy, dignity, and control over what happens next.

I know from both personal and professional experience that even when a marriage must end, the process used to get there matters. I am committed to helping families move through that process thoughtfully, practically, and with a clearer view of life beyond divorce.

Credentials

• Northwestern University – Divorce Mediation Certificate

• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

• Doctor of Philosophy

• Associate Mediator, Center for Divorce Resolution