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One of the privileges of leading AFCC is touching base each day with members and contributors throughout the world. In 2025, a common thread ran through these conversations: instability and rapid change.

Therapists report clients overwhelmed by the weight of the moment. Our legal colleagues are challenged in an environment increasingly untethered from norms once assumed fixed. Academics describe what seems like a slide in critical thought and original work. Across the board I hear that our members are both unsettled and eager to harness algorithms and AI, which amplify both the turbulence and promise of what’s ahead. Those shifts are felt throughout AFCC in our programming, task forces, and publications.

Navigating the holiday season with high conflict co-parents can be among the most challenging work faced by family court professionals.  Grievances about the allocation of time sharing, pick-ups and drop-offs, and last-minute scheduling changes can be overwhelming for both professionals and clients.  Here are some tips to share with clients to help make the holiday season a little bit easier before the conflict erupts. What other tips would you add?

1. Have a very specific plan for the holidays so there is no opportunity for confusion or conflict. Parents may alternate or split holidays, but when there is disagreement about this plan, consider the longer view of alternating holidays by even and odd years. Holidays are often a time of heightened emotions, and the reality of the loss associated with separation or divorce is no more apparent than when parents must spend a holiday without their children or without old traditions.