To the anesthesia practitioner, the possibility of malpractice claims constitutes a very real and ever-present problem for it lies within the risks inherent in the administration of anesthesia. Since the areas of anesthesia which may be subject to suit are legion, the problem of malpractice becomes too complex to afford easy answers. Clearly, though, it is a problem all too serious to ignore. This article examines one aspect of the problem: the importance of good documentation in anesthesia.