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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.

Leaving an abusive relationship is a dangerous undertaking that comes with an increased risk of post-separation assault and homicide. Children are often either direct targets of, or witnesses to, abuse and control tactics and their emotional and/or physical safety can be in jeopardy during separation. Despite these risks, many survivors, in search of a safer and better life for themselves and their children, take the difficult step of separating from a partner who uses abuse. When they do, they may find themselves navigating family court proceedings as a part of this process.

Divorce is never easy, but when you add the complexity of a beloved dog or cat into the equation, things can become even more difficult and emotional for everyone involved. This article aims to provide some guidelines for divorce professionals to help their clients address the issue of “who keeps the dog?” (or cat!) in a way that minimizes the conflict surrounding the pets in the short term and long term with realistic expectations for the feasibly of the plan and well-being of the animals concerned.

One of the most disliked aspects of family law litigation is cross-examination. People have a universal aversion to it, from litigators to parents to experts. In family law cases, there are many types of individuals a lawyer will need to cross-examine. Often, the lawyer will cross-examine at least one of the parents, an evaluator or Guardian ad Litem, mental health professionals for either parent or the minor child, or other various experts, professionals, or friends and family. Effective cross-examination is a critical tool for litigators to help paint a picture for the factfinder (Judge) of what is in the best interest of the children, just as understanding effective cross-examination is also a critical tool for any professional in a family law case so they are prepared to answer questions in a way that is useful to the factfinder in making decisions for families. The author reflects on the purpose of cross-examination and offers some key guidelines for lawyers cross-examining witnesses and for those who face cross-examination during testimony.