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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 Wyoming, res judicata, or claim preclusion, prevents parties from relitigating a claim that has already been finally adjudicated in a court of law. This means that once a court has reached a final judgment on the merits of a case, the same parties cannot bring a lawsuit on the same claim again. Issue preclusion, also known as collateral estoppel, bars the relitigation of specific issues that were necessarily decided in a previous lawsuit and are identical to issues in a new lawsuit, provided the party against whom the doctrine is applied had a full and fair opportunity to litigate the issue in the prior case. Both doctrines are based on the principle that a matter that has been adjudicated by a competent court should not be disputed again between the same parties. Wyoming courts adhere to these principles to ensure the finality of judgments, prevent legal harassment, and conserve judicial resources.

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Civil procedure

res judicata and collateral estoppel

Individual & Family Legal Plan

Articles

Wyoming State Code

Civil procedure

res judicata and collateral estoppel

Wyoming State Code

Articles