When does knowledge of law appear and to whom? Analytical weight in the anthropology of law often falls to the moment of decision framed as an announcement or performance of the law. But legal processes produce knowledge and reshape possible lives in ways far beyond the force of decision. This panel explores the forms of emancipation, deferral, waiting, or disruption that seem to exceed moments of decision. What kinds of knowledge appear in these interstitial times and practices? What types of normativity become apparent when analytic focus on legal judgment is deferred? How do legal actors respond to the flux between differing degrees of uncertainty as possibilities for maneuver open and close? And who gives shape, substance, or tenor to legal processes in these times? This panel connects research in India, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan, to address these questions through empirical studies that traverse jurisdictional boundaries. By decentering the decision, these papers open up opportunities to think about the types of knowledge that appear alongside or beyond expert knowledge.