20.01 Permissive Joinder All persons may join in one action as plaintiffs if they assert any right to relief, jointly, severally, or in the alternative with respect to or arising out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences and if any question of fact or law common to all these persons 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 with respect to 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 defendants 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 defendants according to their respective liabilities.
Rule 20.Permissive Joinder of Parties
Last verified July 1, 2026
In one sentenceRule 20 lets multiple plaintiffs sue together, or multiple defendants be sued together, when their claims arise from the same events and share common questions of law or fact.
Full Text of Rule 20
20.02 Separate Trials The court may make such order as will prevent a party from being embarrassed, delayed, or put to expense by the inclusion of a party against whom the party asserts no claim and who asserts no claim against the party, and may order separate trials or make other orders to prevent delay or prejudice.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 20 is about efficiency: it allows people with related claims to combine forces in a single lawsuit instead of filing separate cases. Multiple plaintiffs can join together if they are asserting rights arising out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of related events, and if some common question of law or fact connects all of them. The same logic works on the defense side — multiple defendants can be sued together under the same conditions. No party has to be interested in every piece of relief being sought; the court can rule differently for each plaintiff and against each defendant according to their own individual rights and liabilities.
Joining multiple parties in one case can create friction, so the rule gives the court tools to manage it. If including a party who has no real stake in a claim against, or from, another party would cause unfair delay, expense, or embarrassment, the court can order separate trials or make other orders to keep the case fair and efficient.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can several plaintiffs with similar claims against the same defendant sue together?
Yes, as long as their claims arise out of the same transaction or series of related events and share a common question of law or fact.
Do all the plaintiffs have to want the exact same relief?
No. A plaintiff or defendant does not need to be interested in obtaining or defending against every bit of relief demanded in the case.
What if joining a party in the case would unfairly delay or burden them?
The court can order separate trials or issue other orders to prevent a party from being embarrassed, delayed, or put to unnecessary expense by being included.
Can the court rule for some plaintiffs and against others in the same joined case?
Yes, judgment can be given for one or more plaintiffs according to their respective rights, and against one or more defendants according to their respective liabilities.
Source & verification. The rule text and Advisory Committee Comments are reproduced verbatim from the
official Minnesota Rules of Civil Procedure (Minn. R. Civ. P. 20). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Minnesota (Minn. Stat. § 480.051). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 1, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: permissive joinder rule