This chapter presents a framework for assessing parents and their families for both forensic and clinical purposes, and helps to ensure that children receive the best care available. It outlines principles that contribute to ethical assessment practice; provides dimensions to consider when making a formulation; and offers ideas about the preparation of court reports. The chapter describes practical ways of conducting collaborative and therapeutic assessments. Depending on resources, philosophy, culture, and service construction, there are wide regional disparities in the conduct of assessments. In most situations, staff from different disciplines contribute to the overall assessment and child-care social workers have the responsibility of coordinating perspectives from different agencies and, ultimately, ensuring the safety of the child. A partnership approach emphasizing the joint responsibility between staff and patients works well in the therapeutic community model of treatment for personality-disordered people.