(a) Joinder of Claims. 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, legal or equitable, as the party has against an opposing party.
Rule 55.06.Joinder of Claims and Remedies.
Part I · Rule 55: Pleadings, Motions and Hearing · Last amended January 1, 1994 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceRule 55.06 lets a party join as many legal or equitable claims as it has against an opposing party in one action, and allows joining claims that were once cognizable only after another claim was resolved, such as a fraudulent-conveyance claim brought alongside the underlying debt claim.
Full Text of Rule 55.06
(b) Joinder of Remedies; Fraudulent Conveyances. Whenever a claim is one heretofore cognizable only after another claim has been prosecuted to a conclusion, the two claims may be joined in a single action; but the court shall grant relief in that action only in accordance with the relative substantive rights of the parties. For example, a plaintiff may state a claim for money and a claim to have set aside a conveyance fraudulent as to him, without first having obtained a judgment establishing the claim for money.
Amendment History
Adopted Jan. 19, 1973, eff. Sept. 1, 1973. Amended Sept. 28, 1993, eff. Jan. 1, 1994.
Official Comment
This Rule supersedes prior Rules 55.07 and 55.08. Paragraph (a) is the same as Rule 18(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure with “maritime” deleted. Paragraph (b) is the same as Rule 18(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The change is the deletion of references to joinder of parties rules in prior Rule 55.07.
Plain-English Summary
Paragraph (a) gives parties broad latitude to combine claims. Whether the claim is an original claim, a counterclaim, a cross-claim, or a third-party claim, the party bringing it can join as many claims — legal, equitable, independent, or alternate — as it has against the opposing party. There’s no requirement that the claims share a common set of facts to be joined together in the same action.
Paragraph (b) addresses a narrower situation: claims that historically could be brought only in sequence, with one claim needing to be resolved before the next could proceed. The rule lets those claims be joined into a single action instead, while still requiring the court to grant relief according to the parties’ actual substantive rights. The rule’s own example is a plaintiff who wants both a money judgment and an order setting aside a fraudulent conveyance — the plaintiff doesn’t have to win the money judgment first before bringing the fraudulent-conveyance claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bring multiple claims against the same defendant in one Missouri lawsuit?
Yes. Rule 55.06(a) lets a party join as many legal or equitable claims as it has against an opposing party.
Do the joined claims need to be related to each other?
No. The rule doesn’t require the claims to arise from the same facts to be joined in one action.
Can I join a fraudulent-conveyance claim with a debt claim?
Yes. Rule 55.06(b) specifically allows a plaintiff to join a claim for money with a claim to set aside a fraudulent conveyance without first obtaining a money judgment.
What’s the difference between joinder of claims and joinder of parties?
Rule 55.06 governs how many claims one party can bring against another; separate rules govern which parties can be joined to a case.
Can legal and equitable claims be joined together?
Yes, Rule 55.06(a) expressly allows joining claims that are legal or equitable in nature.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Missouri State & Federal Court Rules, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Missouri. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: joinder of claimsjoining multiple claims one lawsuitfraudulent conveyance claim joinderjoinder of remediescombining legal and equitable claims