Opinion ID: 2621198
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Uniform standards for commencing litigation

Text: The court's opinion also asserts that Alaska has an undeniably strong interest in establishing uniform filing deadlines. Uniform deadlines promote predictability for plaintiffs, defendants, and other interested parties alike. [35] I think that any Alaska policy favoring a uniform standard for commencing suit is not so fundamental that it overrides the parties' contractual choice. Common law [36] and statutory exceptions [37] abound in Alaska. Although these exceptions relax statutory limitations periods, they demonstrate that there is no uniform standard. Circumstances in each case can affect the time for beginning suit. [38] Shifting decisional law has also contributed to the uncertainty about what limitations period governs, [39] and about when the applicable statute begins to run. [40] No greater uncertainty arises when contracting parties agree to reduce the time for suit to a specific period. But assuming Alaska actually has a strong interest in establishing uniform filing deadlines, it would be satisfied by consistently applying the statutory limitations periods to like classes of claims absent an agreement by the parties to be bound by a different limitations period. [41]