can make it difcult to support that the doctor met the standard of care. Many attorneys will expertly try to convince a jury that if an event or detail is not docu­mented in the record, then it did not hap­pen. The best way to protect yourself from this criticism is to adopt appropri­ate documentation habits as part of your daily practice. Clinicians often express frustration and dismay regarding the burden of documentation required in routine practice, but the reality is that quality documentation is important when defending yourself against a claim of malpractice. Good documentation may protect a surgeon from a lawsuit just as a seat belt does not improve a per­son’s driving ability but protects the driver in the event of a crash. Similarly, long time intervals between the actual events and the date of the documentation can call into question the credibility of the record. It is in the clinician’s best interest to complete operative notes and progress notes in a timely fashion and to “leave footprints.”