Advice on 5150 Hold

Ian advised me on a 5150 hold matter. My wife had reacted badly to a new medication and had been kept for 72 hours. By the end of the 72 hours she was back to normal, but the facility psychiatrist seemed as if she was planning to extend the hold. Ian explained the process, advised best practices and searched for colleagues able to spring into action. All this without being retained, which he advised against until the psychiatrist made her decision. He said, “I may be bad at marketing, but this is the right thing to do.” He further advised that the public defenders are very good and do their jobs well. Ian generously offered his time and expertise — several hours — for free and said the public defender was the better way to go in most cases. He said he loves what he does and that his main concern was that the right outcome is achieved.