Monday Profile: Monika Holzer Sacks

Monika Holzer Sacks is a shareholder in Nichols, Sacks, Slank, Sendelbach & Buiteweg, P. C., Ann Arbor. An attorney for 33 years and mediator for 20 years, Sacks helped bring collaborative practice to Michigan. She is the immediate past president of the Collaborative Practice Institute of Michigan and vice president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers--Michigan Chapter. She is also certified in Elder Mediation. Sacks says she loves empowering clients to figure out their own resolutions to their family law issues, using mediation and collaborative practice, through education and professional support. When necessary, she will litigate. Sacks is the author of "The Divorce Cases in Michigan, A Systems Approach." Residence: Saline. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Spending time with my significant other, my sons, their wives and granddaughter. What is your greatest fear? Missing a deadline or significant asset/debt for a client. Which living person do you most admire? Hillary Clinton. I admire her courage, intellect and incredible energy. She is a real trailblazer who has not lost her femininity, though she has had very challenging jobs. What is the trait you hate most in yourself? I can be impatient. What is the trait you hate most in others? Deceitfulness. If you suddenly had an extra room in your house, what would you do with it? Convert it to a work-out room. What is your most treasured possession? A photo album that my mom made up of my grandparents dating from the 1890's, early shots of my parents, uncles and aunts, in Germany and our family growing up in Canada and Michigan. She had a trunk-load of pictures reproduced and incorporated into albums for each of her six children and four stepchildren as Christmas gifts one year. I have tons of pictures and videos of my kids from infancy until now that I love to review. If you could do one thing professionally... Make mediation and collaborative practice the default procedures for resolving family law disputes, such as divorce. Now that I think about it; legal disputes, with court as the back-up for folks who can't resolve disputes. What are your favorite websites? Michigan Public Radio for news updates. Facebook to keep track of my three sons, daughters-in-law and granddaughter. I also have five brothers and sisters who share their lives on Facebook. LinkedIn helps me keep up with professional colleagues. What would surprise people about your job? How satisfying it feels to help people who are under enormous stress make the transition into feeling in control of their lives and optimistic about their future. Many of my clients make fabulous transformations as they become more empowered. Would you rather save money or time? Time is more precious than money. As I age, it becomes increasingly valuable. Introvert or extrovert? Extrovert. Some say off the charts. What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Humility. When and where were you happiest? At a family gathering, followed by a good score on the golf course. What's your greatest achievement: Three fabulous, considerate, self-sufficient sons. What would you say to your 16-year-old self? Slow down. Life is short. Savor it. What's the oddest thing you ever bought? A rosewood bowl with a small hole in the bottom. The wood is beautiful and the bowl works for storing fruit or triggering a discussion of our trip to Costa Rica. What would be your ideal job? Family law attorney. I love what I do, especially when I hear from former clients how well their lives are going. I work in a great firm where everyone is supportive of each other and we deliver a high quality service. As one fellow attorney observed, we are saving the world, one family at a time. What one thing do you wish people knew about your work? That working to reconfigure families respectfully has incredible, lasting, positive influence on people's lives. Favorite joke: An elderly couple who had died in an accident were being shown around heaven by St. Peter. First he showed them their ocean side condo. Then the two championship golf courses, the swimming pool and tennis courts. The husband inquired how much this all cost. St. Peter replied, "Nothing. This is heaven." The husband turned to his wife and said, "And you insisted we eat all those bran muffins. We could have been here 10 years ago." What one habit do you wish you could break? Leaving the office after 7:00 p.m. What is something most people don't know about you? I am interested in finding an effective deterrent to the deer that eat the roses I love to grow. What do you wish more people understood? Winning at the expense of someone with whom you will have a long term relationship, such as the parent of your children, will cost you more in the long run than you will benefit in the short run. If you could have dinner with three people, living or dead, who would they be? Barak Obama, Tom Freedman, Tina Brown. Who is your favorite character of fiction? Right now, I enjoy Mary Russell, a series about Sherlock Holmes' wife, written by Laurie King. Favorite words: "Peace" and "Can Do." Favorite movie: The King's Speech. Favorite place to spend money: Meijer. I am serious about being practical and frugal. What is your motto? Accept the things that you cannot change, change the things that you can control and have the wisdom to know the difference. Where would you like to be when you're 90? In the fond memories of my sons, their wives, my grandchildren, younger colleagues and former clients. Published: Thu, Jul 26, 2012