Collaborative Practice was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the brainchild of attorney Stu Webb. Having practiced family law for a number of years, Webb became convinced that litigating family law cases was destructive to his clients and himself. He conceived of a model that involved an agreement among the attorneys and clients that the attorneys would be settlement advocates only, and would not be allowed to litigate for the clients. The concept spread among other local attorneys, and then throughout the United States and Canada.  The collaborative movement continues to grow.  It is activley practiced in at least 38 states, allowing many people to take advantage of the unique benefits of this conflict resolution model.