And Why It Actually Makes the Office Run Better
Every year around the holidays, I get a familiar reaction when people hear I take three full weeks off at the end of December: “Three weeks? How can you do that?!”
Well… pretty easily, actually. And today, I want to pull back the curtain a bit and explain why this break is one of the healthiest, most productive decisions I make all year—and why it helps my clients, my staff, and my sanity.
Estate Planning Isn’t an Emergency Room
Let’s start with the obvious: estate planning and Medicaid planning aren’t “drop everything” areas of law.
No one calls my office because they’ve been arrested and need bail money. (Well… at least no clients. Friends may be another story.)
And hardly anyone needs a will drafted in the next 24 hours “or else.” The rare times someone insists they need documents right now, we refer them to another attorney who can work on that timetable. It’s simply not the nature of our practice.
That also means the week before Christmas and the week after the holidays, as almost no one keeps their appointments.
Last time I kept the office fully open during the holidays, six appointments were scheduled… and five canceled at the last minute because, unsurprisingly, things get hectic around Christmas. That was my sign: stop fighting human nature and take the break.
So now I do exactly that.
What the Office Schedule Actually Looks Like During the Holidays
Here’s how we structure it:
- The week before Christmas: Office open, staff working.
- Christmas week: Entire staff fully paid and fully off. That’s their Christmas bonus.
- Week after Christmas: Office open again, staff working.
- Me: My last day is December 11. I return on January 5.
Yes, I’m off longer than the team—but that doesn’t mean the work stops. In fact, the staff uses the quieter weeks to handle all the “reset button” tasks that help us start January strong: updating files, cleaning up workflows, prepping communications, and organizing the calendar.
The law firm isn’t shut down… just Jeff is.
Why I Take a Real Break During the Holidays (Not a “sort of” break)
Imagine you’re trying to get eight solid hours of sleep. Now imagine someone pokes you every hour:
“Hey, quick question. Just take a second.”
You’re awake for a few minutes, fall asleep again, and… poke.
You wake up the next morning, technically having been in bed for seven-ish hours, but you didn’t get seven hours of rest. You got eight mini-naps.
That’s what happens if I try to “sort of” take time off while still answering quick questions, emails, and calls.
To stop the poking, we have one simple policy:
My hourly rate during the holiday break is $2,000/hour with a two-hour minimum.
Yep—if someone absolutely must have an answer from me during that period, we run their card for $4,000.
Do you know how many people have ever taken me up on it?
Zero.
Once clients hear I’m on break and will return in January, they simply say, “No problem. Have him call me when he’s back.”
They’re respectful—because they know I give them 49 other weeks of full availability.
How I Use the Time Off During the Holidays: Recuperate, Plan, Improve
This three-week window isn’t just a vacation. It’s where some of my best work happens.
- Recuperation
From late August (when the kids go back to school) through early December, the office is nonstop. I’m human. By mid-December, I need to recharge so I can show up strong the rest of the year.
- Planning the Year Ahead
This is when I map out:
- Key projects for the year
- Travel to Asheville
- The Durham Bulls schedule (already released by then, so yes—I plan around baseball)
- Webinar topics
- Major YouTube education themes
- Staff workflow priorities
Weekly YouTube topics usually come from real client questions, but the big video topics? Those get planned now.
- Updating Legal Documents & Templates
Examples include:
- Tweaking language in trusts
- Updating template clauses
- Adjusting document dates (e.g., my notary renewal changes all template expiration years)
Small tasks add up, and this is when I can fix them across the board.
- Brainstorming the Next Book
If a new book is on deck for the upcoming year—like the upcoming project formerly known as In-Law Protection Planning—this is when I sketch chapters and themes so the manuscript can be finished by late spring.
- A Break From Social Media
Not posting. Not scrolling. Not clicking from platform to platform because an algorithm decided I needed to see something I never searched for.
Just… unplugging.
Next week’s video will dive into what that social media break looks like and the seven-week plan that goes with it.
The Staff Uses This Time Too
While I’m recharging and planning, Jennifer, AJ, and Alani are in the office (before and after Christmas week), catching up on:
- Client communication
- Administrative work
- Organizing files
- Cleaning up systems
- Prep for the new year
Without the usual volume of meetings, they make tremendous progress. When I walk in on January 5, we are ready to run.
If You Can Take a Break, Take It
Not everyone’s profession allows for long holidays. But if you can take real time off—undisturbed time off—it can make a world of difference.
I do it so I can show up for my clients refreshed, clear-headed, and ready to tackle a full new year of planning.
So enjoy the holidays, and enjoy any time off you can get.