When any of us embark on a career in the health professions, we do not expect to spend time in a courtroom, facing claims of negligence and forced to defend the care we have provided. . . .

In every maternity care practice, best care should be a primary focus. Stemming from this, the other essential goal is to avoid the unthinkable; that your clinical decisions are implicated in permanent harm to a mother or her infant.

Basic medical-legal knowledge is essential for safe practice. Recognizing legal risks in vulnerable care settings, and in routine practice situations, can assure the most responsible care choices for your patients.