(a) Permissive joinder. All persons may join in one action as plaintiffs if they assert any right to relief jointly, severally, or in the alternative in respect of or arising out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences and if any question of law or fact common to all of them will arise in the action. All persons may be joined in one action as defendants if there is asserted against them jointly, severally, or in the alternative any right to relief in respect of or arising out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences and if any question of law or fact common to all of them will arise in the action. A plaintiff or defendant need not be interested in obtaining or defending against all the relief demanded. Judgment may be given for one or more of the plaintiffs according to their respective rights to relief and against one or more of the defendants according to their respective liabilities.
§ 9-11-20.Permissive joinder of parties
Chapter 11. Civil Practice Act · Article 4. Parties · Last amended 1966 · Last verified July 17, 2026
In one sentenceO.C.G.A. § 9-11-20 lets multiple plaintiffs join in one action, or multiple defendants be joined in one action, whenever their claims arise from the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences and share a common question of law or fact, and it lets the court order separate trials to avoid prejudice or delay.
Full Text of § 9-11-20
(b) Separate trials. The court may make such orders as will prevent a party from being embarrassed, delayed, or put to expense by the inclusion of a party against whom he asserts no claim and who asserts no claim against him and may order separate trials or make other orders to prevent delay or prejudice.
Plain-English Summary
Georgia law lets multiple people team up on the plaintiff’s side, or be grouped together as defendants, whenever the same two-part test is met: their claims arise out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences, and a common question of law or fact will come up in the case. No plaintiff or defendant has to be interested in every bit of relief sought — the court can enter judgment for or against each one according to what that particular party is entitled to or liable for.
Putting several parties in one lawsuit can still create friction, so subsection (b) gives the court tools to manage it. If including a party who has no real claim against, or from, another party in the suit would cause embarrassment, delay, or needless expense, the court can order separate trials or make other orders to keep the case from bogging down or turning unfair.
Frequently Asked Questions
What test governs whether multiple plaintiffs or defendants can join in one Georgia lawsuit?
Their claims must arise out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences, and there must be a question of law or fact common to all of them.
Does every joined plaintiff have to want the exact same relief?
No. The section states that a plaintiff or defendant need not be interested in obtaining or defending against all the relief demanded in the case.
Can a court award judgment against only some of several joined defendants?
Yes. Judgment may be given for one or more plaintiffs according to their respective rights to relief, and against one or more defendants according to their respective liabilities.
What can a court do if joining several parties makes a case unwieldy or unfair to one of them?
It may order separate trials, or make other orders to prevent a party from being embarrassed, delayed, or put to unnecessary expense.
How is permissive joinder under this section different from the joinder requirement in O.C.G.A. § 9-11-19?
This section lets parties join together when its test is met; Code Section 9-11-19 instead requires certain absent parties to be joined regardless of a plaintiff’s preference.
Amendment History
Ga. L. 1966, p. 609, § 20.
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, published by the
Official Code of Georgia Annotated, Georgia Code Revision Commission / LexisNexis. Last verified July 17, 2026.
· Official source
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