When litigating, must you bring all claims arising from a transaction at once?

The correct choice indicates that when litigating, you must bring all claims arising from a transaction at once to prevent the preclusion of other claims. This concept is primarily rooted in the legal doctrine of claim preclusion, also known as res judicata. Under this doctrine, if a party could have brought a claim in a previous lawsuit but failed to do so, they may be barred from raising that claim in any subsequent actions. This serves to promote judicial efficiency and finality, ensuring that disputes are settled in a single proceeding rather than in multiple lawsuits.

In many jurisdictions, particularly in civil law, the requirement to bring all claims arising from the same transaction stems from the idea that parties should not be allowed to split their claims. If they do, they risk losing the opportunity to pursue claims that could have been decided in the earlier action.

By bringing all related claims in one lawsuit, litigants can provide a comprehensive resolution to the issues arising from the transaction, and avoid situations where one claim is used to undermine or complicate another claim in future litigation. Thus, the answer reflects a fundamental principle of litigation strategy aimed at protecting parties from the consequences of failing to consolidate their claims.