"In 1997, Cincinnati attorney and mediator Bea Larsen heard about Stu Webb, a Minneapolis lawyer, who asked the question, "What would happen if lawyers focused their attention on settlement instead of trial". From Bea's initial exploration, the Cincinnati Collaborative Family Lawyers practice group was created. The practice groups formation was based upon the concomitant beliefs that the public wanted more family-focused divorces and, that a group of like-minded attorneys could make a difference in those families lives, as they went through the divorce process.

Certain core principles and shared values marked the creation of the Cincinnati practice group. Holding ourselves out as Collaborative Lawyers meant that:

• We understand and adopt a shared choreography and an interest-based approach to problem solving;
• We recognize that our advocacy role means being an ally to our clients by sharing information about the court model, insuring an honest exchange of information, providing negotiation coaching, and recognizing that clients have the ability to creatively resolve their own issues;
• We pledge, by contract, to uphold confidentiality and not to go to court in Collaborative cases. All of our efforts are focused on settlement."