Hello,   First of all, any psychiatrist or counselor who gets the inkling that their client is a danger to someone else needs to alert the authorities.  That is their legal duty.   I have consulted with an executive director of an agency who has told me that if it's a question of attempted murder the person is most likely going to be sentenced to jail time.   Should he not, and even if he does and then is released at a later date, your friend (the ex-wife) may need to move out of her apartment or house and into another location.   The most important thing is that if he has paranoid schizophrenia he needs to be taking medication even if he has to be legally forced to take the medication.  So ideally while in jail he would be medicated so that when he does get out he will hopefully not be violent.   Your friend may have the right to know where he is living so that she can take precautions to be safe.   Regards, Christina