Rule 18.Joinder of claims and remedies

Ch. IV: Parties · Current through June 1, 2026 · Last verified September 9, 2026

In one sentenceRule 18 lets a party join as many claims as they have against an opposing party, independently or in the alternative.

Full Text of Rule 18

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A party asserting a claim to relief as an original claim, counterclaim, cross-claim, or third-party claim, may join, either as independent or as alternate claims, as many claims as that party has against an opposing party.

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Plain-English Summary

One sentence, and a permissive one. A party asserting a claim — as an original claim, a counterclaim, a cross-claim or a third-party claim — may join as many claims as they have against an opposing party, either as independent claims or as alternatives.

The rule removes a question rather than answering one. Once you are properly opposite someone in a case, you do not have to justify bringing everything you have against them in the same action; whether the claims resemble one another is irrelevant. Whether they should be TRIED together is a different question, and Rule 42 answers it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bring more than one claim in the same Delaware Family Court action?

Yes. A party asserting a claim may join as many claims as they have against an opposing party, either as independent or as alternate claims.

Do the claims have to be related?

Rule 18 does not require it. Whether related or unrelated claims are tried together is governed by Rule 42.

Source & verification. The rule text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Delaware Family Court Rules of Civil Procedure (Fam. Ct. Civ. R. 18), and every rule has been checked word for word against the Delaware Family Court’s own published edition of these rules. Current through June 1, 2026. The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified September 9, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: joinder of claims DelawareFam. Ct. Civ. R. 18