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Civil procedure

res judicata and collateral estoppel

Res judicata is the generic term for a group of related concepts concerning the conclusive effects given final judgments. Within this general doctrine there are two principal categories: (1) claim preclusion—also known as res judicata; and (2) issue preclusion—also known as collateral estoppel.

These legal doctrines generally preclude litigants from relitigating claims and issues that were previously litigated to a final resolution or judgment.

In Idaho, res judicata, or claim preclusion, prevents a party from relitigating a claim that has already been finally adjudicated in a previous lawsuit. This doctrine applies when the earlier decision was a final judgment on the merits, the parties in both cases are the same or in privity with one another, and the claim being raised was or could have been raised in the prior action. Issue preclusion, also known as collateral estoppel, bars the relitigation of factual or legal issues that were actually litigated and necessarily decided in a prior lawsuit involving the same parties or their privies. The purpose of these doctrines is to promote judicial efficiency, maintain consistency, and protect parties from the burden of multiple lawsuits. Idaho courts adhere to these principles to ensure that once a dispute has been resolved, it cannot be reopened in subsequent litigation.

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Civil procedure

res judicata and collateral estoppel

Individual & Family Legal Plan

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Idaho State Code

Idaho State Code

Civil procedure

res judicata and collateral estoppel

Articles