(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 parties 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 parties 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 amended 1973 · Last verified July 3, 2026
In one sentenceRule 20 lets multiple plaintiffs join in one action, or multiple defendants be joined, whenever their claims arise from the same transaction or series of transactions and share a common question of law or fact, while giving the court authority to order separate trials to prevent unfairness or delay.
Full Text of Rule 20
(b) Separate trial. – The court shall 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 shall order separate trials or make other orders to prevent delay or prejudice.
Amendment History
(1967, c. 954, s. 1; 1973, c. 75.)
Plain-English Summary
Rule 20(a) lets plaintiffs join in a single action if their right to relief arises out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences, and any question of law or fact common to all of them will arise in the action; defendants may be joined on the same terms. Judgment may be given for or against one or more parties according to their proven rights and liabilities, without requiring that every joined party be entitled to relief or subject to it.
Rule 20(b) gives the court authority to make whatever orders will keep a party from being embarrassed, delayed, or put to needless expense because it has been joined with others in which it has no interest — including ordering separate trials or other protective measures — and lets the court enter judgment for or against particular parties according to their own rights while preserving whatever claims remain among the others.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can multiple plaintiffs sue together in one North Carolina lawsuit?
Yes, if their claims arise from the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences and share a common question of law or fact.
Is joinder of parties under Rule 20 mandatory?
No. It is permissive — no party can force others to be joined, though the parties can agree among themselves that joinder is proper.
What can a court do if joining several defendants together is unfair to one of them?
Order separate trials or any other measure needed to prevent embarrassment, delay, or needless expense to a party joined with others in which it has no real interest.
Source & verification. The rule text and history citation are reproduced verbatim from the
official North Carolina General Statutes, Chapter 1A (N.C. R. Civ. P. 20). Enacted by the North Carolina General Assembly (S.L. 1967, c. 954, codified at N.C.G.S. § 1A-1). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 3, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: permissive joinderjoinder of parties plaintiff and defendantsame transaction or occurrenceseparate trial to prevent prejudicejoining multiple defendants