(1) Upon timely application anyone shall be permitted to intervene in an action (a) when a statute confers an unconditional right to intervene, or (b) when the applicant claims an interest relating to the property or transaction which is the subject of the action and is so situated that the disposition of the action may as a practical matter impair or impede the applicant's ability to protect that interest, unless that interest is adequately represented by existing parties.
Rule 24.01.Intervention of right.
Current through June 18, 2026 · Last verified July 9, 2026
In one sentenceRule 24.01 lets a person intervene in a pending Kentucky lawsuit as of right when a statute grants an unconditional right to join, or when the applicant has an interest in the property or transaction at stake that a judgment could impair and no existing party adequately represents it.
Full Text of Rule 24.01
(2) Anyone possessing a statutory right of intervention under (1)(a) above, may move the court to intervene in a pending action and, on failure of a party to file an objection within ten (10) days to the intervention and a notice of hearing on the objection, have an order allowing the intervention without appearing in court for a hearing.
Amendment History
(Amended October 18, 1977, effective January 1, 1978; amended July 20, 1993, effective September 1, 1993.)
Plain-English Summary
Rule 24.01 gives a non-party the right to join a Kentucky lawsuit that is already underway, without needing the court's permission in the way a discretionary request would. Two situations trigger this right. The first is when a specific statute already grants the person an unconditional right to join. The second is broader: it covers anyone with a stake in the property or transaction the lawsuit is about, when a judgment in the case could as a practical matter make it harder for that person to protect that stake, and none of the current parties can be counted on to protect it for them.
The application has to be timely -- someone who waits too long after learning about the suit and its stakes can lose the right to intervene even if the underlying interest is real. When the basis for intervention is a statutory right described above, the rule offers a shortcut: the applicant can move to intervene and, if no party objects within ten days after the motion and notice of hearing are served, the court can allow the intervention without holding a hearing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to intervene in a Kentucky lawsuit?
Intervening means a person who is not currently a party asks to join an active lawsuit because the outcome could affect a legal interest they hold. Rule 24.01 covers situations where that right does not depend on the court's discretion -- either a statute already grants it, or the applicant's interest in the property or transaction at issue could be practically harmed by the judgment and no current party is protecting that interest.
Can I be denied the right to intervene under Rule 24.01?
Yes. The application must be timely, and if an existing party already adequately represents the interest the applicant is trying to protect, the rule does not require the court to let the applicant in. The right applies only when both a real interest at stake and inadequate representation of it are present.
Do I need a hearing to intervene based on a statutory right?
Not always. If the intervention is based on a statute that already gives an unconditional right to join, and no party files an objection within ten days after the motion and hearing notice are served, the court can allow the intervention without the applicant appearing at a hearing.
Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure (Ky. R. Civ. P. 24.01). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Kentucky (Ky. Const. § 116). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 9, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: intervening in a lawsuitjoining a pending case as a partyintervention of right Kentuckythird party joining lawsuitCR 24.01right to intervene in civil actionprotecting an interest in a pending lawsuit