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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 Washington State, res judicata, also known as claim preclusion, prevents a party from relitigating a claim that has already been finally adjudicated in a court of law. This means that once a court has issued a final judgment on the merits of a case, the same parties cannot bring a lawsuit on the same claim again. Similarly, issue preclusion, or collateral estoppel, bars the relitigation of specific issues that were actually determined in a previous lawsuit between the same parties. For issue preclusion to apply, the issue must have been necessarily decided in the prior case and be identical to the one presented in the current litigation. Both doctrines are based on the principle that a final judgment by a competent court should provide a conclusive resolution and promote judicial efficiency by preventing redundant litigation. These principles are codified in Washington's court rules and case law, and they apply in both state and federal courts.

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Civil procedure

res judicata and collateral estoppel

Individual & Family Legal Plan

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Washington State Code

Washington State Code

Civil procedure

res judicata and collateral estoppel

Articles