Rule 37.08 Rules - When not Applicable - Procedure

If a specific situation isn't covered by Rule 37, the court will follow the rules found in Rules 19 through 36 instead. These other rules only apply if they don't conflict with anything already stated in Rule 37.

In simple terms, Rule 37 comes first. But since it doesn't cover every possible situation that might come up in a case, courts need a backup plan. That backup plan is to use Rules 19 through 36. This just fills in the gaps so judges always have clear guidance on how to handle a case, even if Rule 37 doesn't mention a specific issue.

For anyone involved in a case, this means the court has a full set of procedures to rely on. Nothing gets left open just because Rule 37 didn't spell it out. If there's ever a conflict between the two, though, Rule 37 wins.