Toward the development of guidelines for the conduct of forensic psychiatric examinations.

Guidelines for conducting forensic psychiatric consultations and evaluations have not been clearly established. The authors offer and discuss such guidelines, which are based upon the boundary guidelines in general psychiatric practice, ethics principles in general psychiatry, ethics principles in forensic psychiatry, and the relevant case and statutory law. These guidelines are intended to assist the psychiatrist in appropriately conducting forensic evaluations whether in litigation or administrative proceedings.