Group IV: Parties · Last amended March 1, 2019 · Last verified July 14, 2026
In one sentenceRule 20 lets multiple plaintiffs sue together, or multiple defendants be sued together, whenever their claims arise from the same events and share a common question, while giving the court power to separate them if joining causes unfair prejudice.
(1)Plaintiffs. Persons may join in one action as plaintiffs if:
(A)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
(B)any question of law or fact common to all plaintiffs will arise in the action.
(2)Defendants. Persons may be joined in one action as defendants if:
(A)any right to relief is asserted against them jointly, severally, or in the alternative with respect to or arising out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences; and
(B)any question of law or fact common to all defendants will arise in the action.
(3)Extent of Relief. Neither a plaintiff nor a defendant need be interested in obtaining or defending against all the relief demanded. The court may grant judgment to one or more plaintiffs according to their rights, and against one or more defendants according to their liabilities.
(b)Protective Measures. The court may issue orders—including an order for separate trials—to protect a party against embarrassment, delay, expense, or other prejudice that arises from including a person against whom the party asserts no claim and who asserts no claim against the party.
Notes
Drafter’s Note, Amendment Effective January 1, 2005: The amendments are technical.
Rule 20 answers a practical question: when can several people team up in one lawsuit, or be lumped together as defendants, instead of filing separate cases? The answer turns on two things happening at once. First, the claims involved, whether asserted jointly, individually, or as alternatives, have to trace back to the same transaction, occurrence, or series of related events. Second, the case has to raise at least one legal or factual question common to everyone joined. Meet both, and plaintiffs can join together or defendants can be joined in a single action, even though no one plaintiff needs to be chasing the same recovery as the others, and no one defendant needs to face identical liability.
Joining a crowd of parties into one case is not without downsides, so the rule gives the court a safety valve. If including a particular party creates embarrassment, unnecessary delay, added expense, or other unfairness, especially when that party has no real stake in claims against someone else in the case, the court can order separate trials or take other protective steps. That flexibility lets a court capture the efficiency of one lawsuit while still keeping individual parties from being unfairly swept up in disputes that are not theirs.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can multiple plaintiffs join together in one lawsuit?
They can join if their claims arise out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of related events, and if at least one legal or factual question is common to all of them. Both conditions have to be true.
Can I sue several defendants in one case even if they are not equally liable?
Yes. As long as the claims against them arise from the same transaction or occurrence and share a common question, defendants can be joined even if their level of responsibility differs, or if some are only liable in the alternative.
Does every plaintiff joined have to be seeking the same relief?
No. Rule 20 makes clear that no plaintiff or defendant needs to be interested in every form of relief sought in the case. The court can grant judgment to some plaintiffs and against some defendants according to what each is owed or liable for.
What can a court do if joining a party seems unfair to them?
The court can order separate trials or issue other protective orders to shield a party from embarrassment, delay, added expense, or other prejudice, particularly when that party has no real dispute with another party in the case.
Is joining parties under this rule the same as a class action?
No. This rule covers named individuals or entities joining together as plaintiffs or defendants in one case. Class actions, addressed elsewhere, involve one or more representatives standing in for an entire group of similarly situated people.
Source & verification. Rule text, official Advisory Committee
Notes, and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Nevada Rules of Civil
Procedure, adopted by the Supreme Court of Nevada. Last verified July 14, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as:joining multiple plaintiffssuing multiple defendants togetherpermissive joinder of partiessame transaction or occurrencecombining lawsuits into one case