Should I Expect My Probate Client to Be Extra Emotional During the Holiday Season?

Yes — you should absolutely expect your probate clients to be more emotional during the holidays. And instead of avoiding it, lean into it.

During our Probate Plug and Play™ session last week, we had a great discussion about whether we should pause weekly client check-ins during the holidays since clients may be feeling tender or overwhelmed. The answer? Absolutely not.

This is your opportunity to show up as the professional who doesn’t shrink away when emotions rise. Don’t leave your client unprepared for what might come up — from their own feelings or from well-meaning (and sometimes intrusive) family questions. Use this season to shine and truly serve.

You get to be the professional who didn’t disappear when things got hard — who didn’t say, “Take a break and deal with your emotions,” but instead helped guide the client through one of the hardest seasons of their life.

In a world where we’re all worried about being replaced by AI or undercut by cheap DIY options, this is where you stand out. This is where you make a real difference — by helping your client navigate emotional family dynamics while managing the loss of a loved one.

Lean in. Show up. Shine.

Now, let’s be clear: leading an emotional client doesn’t mean spending endless hours on the phone while they process their feelings. If you or your team find yourselves on long emotional calls, it usually means you lost control of the conversation.

Yes, the client may appreciate that someone listened, but if you didn’t lead — if you didn’t help them move forward — the opportunity to truly serve and support them was missed.

Dealing with emotions doesn’t have to be time-consuming or awkward. It’s not about “fixing” your client’s feelings — that only drags you into the mud with them. It’s about leading them through the moment with empathy, calm, and confidence.

And I get it — some of you are thinking, “I hate dealing with emotions.” But leading through emotion doesn’t mean you have to get emotional. It means you can sit in the pause, hold space for the silence, and then gently guide them forward:

“Are you ready to move forward and decide what’s next, or do you need more time?”

Notice that “more time” doesn’t mean your time. It’s simply helping the client honestly assess whether they’re ready to take the next step — or whether they need space to process.

Things go sideways when you get lost in the emotional moment instead of inviting them to clarity. When you fail to lead, you lose momentum.

Leading through emotion is a skill — and the great news is, it can be learned. (Stay tuned… we’ll be teaching this more soon!)

In response to our Probate Plug and Play™ discussion, our team has created three powerful new tools to help you support your clients through the holidays:

1. Executor Holiday Survival Guide
   Questions an executor might be asked, what they really mean, and how to respond. Prepare your clients for those tough family conversations with grace and confidence.
2. Executor Emotional & Communication Guide for the Holidays
   A practical guide to help executors prepare not just legally, but emotionally and relationally. Support your clients in managing both the legal process and the emotional realities of the season.
3. Executor Holiday Social Media Tips Calendar
   Ten ready-to-post social captions for estate planning law firms. Each post includes a hook, message, and gentle call to action — perfect for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or email newsletters.

Probate Plug and Play™ Members:
These tools and social posts are available now in Kajabi and in our members-only Facebook group.

For everyone else:
Enjoy a free gift — three of the social posts to help you create your own holiday guide and connect more deeply with your clients this season.  DM us your email and get your gift!

Happy Holidays,
The Probate Plug and Play™ Team