It only takes one dr (or actually anyone can make an affidavit to get someone picked up and taken to the hospital by the police) for the initial up to 3 day involuntary hold - but the commitment is by court order only. The commitment then is for a specific number of days and the hospital has to keep going back at the end of each of the statutorily set amounts of time and request a continued hold - with the client being afforded an attorney, hearing/right to jury trial at each stage. Frankly in my jurisdiction - it does not take much for the first court order - courts usually err on the side of the involuntary commitment. I usually have to break it to my clients that unless the md is a complete **** up - or so arrogant they get in their own way - the court usually sides with them unless I have someone besides the client to testify- which often does not happen because the family wants the person drugged. Sometimes I can get a family member to testify that the md is wrong - which helps.