California LCSW Law and Ethics Examination cheat sheet

Identify the decision and the person with authority to make it.

Treatment consent and disclosure authorization are different permissions.

Minor consent, parent involvement, and record access require separate analysis.

Payment alone does not create unrestricted clinical access.

Respond to legal process without assuming that every request overrides privilege.

Assess immediate safety before treating every issue as routine paperwork.

A reporting duty is not the same as an obligation to investigate or prove guilt.

Consultation should clarify decisions without delaying already required protection.

Abuse reporting, danger-to-others duties, and suicide assessment are distinct analyses.

Document actual facts and actions rather than retrospective justifications.

Distinguish actual registration or licensure from informal workplace titles.

Lawful professional scope does not prove individual competence.

Supervision requires meaningful oversight, not just signatures.

Do not certify experience or services that did not occur as represented.

For telehealth, check the client's location and applicable practice authority.

Client agreement does not automatically eliminate exploitation or conflicts.

Evaluate a boundary decision in its clinical context and foreseeable effects.

Keep the clinician's personal needs separate from the client's treatment goals.

Respect informed choices while addressing competence, bias, and continuity.

Use consultation to improve reasoning rather than transfer responsibility.

Document the actual service and distinguish facts, reports, and interpretations.

Use traceable corrections instead of concealing an error.

Ordinary progress records and qualifying separate psychotherapy notes are distinct.

Billing and claims must accurately represent the service and practitioner.

Verify access and transmission destinations, and respond appropriately to incidents.