Legal issues in outpatient treatment.

This overview reviews three major aspects of the interface between psychiatry and law: (1) legal issues in clinical management (e.g., civil commitment, the least restrictive setting principle, and informed consent), (2) management of client information, and (3) caveats for clinicians concerned with legal issues. It is suggested that periodic review of legal issues can increase both professional confidence and comfort, and that it will be necessary upon occasion for psychiatrists to enter the public debate on legal issues to help ensure the best interests of patients and of the profession.