Rule 20.Permissive Joinder of Parties

Last amended July 1, 1970 · Last verified July 1, 2026

In one sentenceRule 20 lets multiple plaintiffs join together, or multiple defendants be joined together, whenever their claims arise out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences and share a common question of law or fact, while letting the court order separate trials to prevent unfairness to anyone swept in unnecessarily.

Full Text of Rule 20

Text sizeJump to: (A) (B)

(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 succession or series of transactions or occurrences and if any question of law or fact 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 in respect of or arising out of the same transaction, occurrence, or succession 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.

(B) Separate trials

The court may make such orders as will prevent a party from being prejudiced, 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 may order separate trials or make other orders to prevent prejudice or delay.

End

Amendment History

Effective Date: July 1, 1970

Plain-English Summary

Division (A) permits any number of plaintiffs to join in one action if they assert rights to relief jointly, severally, or in the alternative arising out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series or succession of transactions or occurrences, and if a question of law or fact common to all of them will arise in the case. The same test applies to joining multiple defendants. No plaintiff or defendant needs to be interested in every bit of relief sought or defended against — the court gives judgment to each plaintiff according to that plaintiff's own right to relief, and against each defendant according to that defendant's own liability.

Division (B) protects a party who is properly joined but has little stake in most of the case: the court may enter whatever orders are needed to prevent that party from being prejudiced, delayed, or put to needless expense by claims that do not really involve it, including ordering separate trials.

Frequently Asked Questions

What has to be true for multiple plaintiffs to join in one lawsuit?

Their claims must arise out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of related transactions or occurrences, and there must be a question of law or fact common to all of them. Rule 20(A) applies the identical test to joining multiple defendants.

Does every plaintiff have to want the same relief to join together?

No. Rule 20(A) lets plaintiffs join even if they are not all interested in obtaining every form of relief sought; the court awards judgment to each according to that plaintiff’s own right to recover.

What protects a defendant who has little connection to most of the claims in a multi-party case?

Rule 20(B) lets the court order separate trials or other relief to prevent a party from being prejudiced, delayed, or burdened with needless expense because of claims that do not really involve that party.

Source & verification. The rule text, Effective Date, Amended dates, and Staff Notes are reproduced verbatim from the official Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure (Ohio R. Civ. P. 20). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Ohio (Ohio Constitution, Art. IV, § 5(B)). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 1, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: permissive joinder of partiesjoinder of plaintiffsjoinder of defendants