Consent Issues in Medico‐Legal Procedures: How Competent Are Children to Make Their Own Decisions?

BACKGROUND: The rights and competence of children in relation to medico-legal matters (for example, medical and/or psychological treatment, custody dispute) have become matters with which professionals have been expected to become more familiar. METHOD: These issues are reviewed in terms of addressing the criteria of age and psychological maturity and their significance for determining a child's competence for making decisions when consent is involved. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence indicates that assessment of a child's competence to make informed decisions requires systematic examination of a number of important considerations and factors over and above the child's age and wishes.