Background: During the last decades the organisation of the health care sector in most western countries, and in Sweden in particular, have been transformed towards an increased focus on economy, efficiency and quality assessment. The transformation includes an increased focus on the importance of and the forms for documentation of the care. In many cases standardised forms for documentation have been introduced, for example regarding different care plans regarding the care of the patient in psychiatric care, that the County Councils and the Municipalities are obliged to collaborate on. Aims: The aim of this study is to analyse what the implications of standardised forms of documentation are with regards to the legal position of the patient. How well do standardised forms of documentation meet the demands that follow from the rule of law? Methods: The standardised forms for care planning regarding patients in compulsory noninstitutional psychiatric care in the 21 County Councils in Sweden where collected and analysed. Results: The rule of law does not seem to be a central aspect when most of the forms are constructed. Demands for equality before the law, transparency, predictability and legality are not met.