ABSTRACT
This chapter describes a particular approach to forensic assessment that involves developing a case formulation that is then used to inform an opinion about the referral questions. In many ways the opinion section is the most important part of any report as it seeks to offer an explanation of why a person acted as he or she did, rather than simply describing a person's level of risk or psychological functioning. In preparing an expert opinion it is essential that the specific legal questions being considered are addressed. In the forensic setting the most widely used approach to case formulation has been derived from a method of psychological assessment known as functional analysis. The case formulation should be presented as part of the opinion section of the forensic report and should be clearly separated from the data derived from the assessments. The chapter reproduces some extracts of forensic psychology reports to illustrate particular aspects of how the assessment can be communicated.
