(a) Application for leave to intervene shall be made by a petition in the form of and verified in the manner of a plaintiff’s initial pleading in a civil action, set- ting forth the ground on which intervention is sought and a statement of the relief or the defense which the petitioner desires to demand or assert. The petitioner shall attach to the petition a copy of any pleading which the petitioner will file in the action if permitted to intervene or shall state in the petition that the petitioner adopts by reference in whole or in part certain named pleadings or parts of pleadings already filed in the action.
Rule 2328.Petition to intervene.
Adopted June 7, 1940 · Last amended December 16, 2003 · Last verified June 30, 2026
In one sentenceA person seeks to intervene by filing a verified petition, in the form of a plaintiff’s initial pleading, with the proposed pleading attached.
Full Text of Rule 2328
(b) A copy of the petition shall be served upon each party to the action.
Plain-English Summary
Intervention starts with a petition that is verified and built like an opening pleading. The would-be intervenor attaches the pleading they intend to file once admitted, so the court and the parties can see exactly what claims or defenses the newcomer brings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What must the petition include?
A verified statement of the grounds for intervening and a copy of the pleading the petitioner proposes to file in the action.
Why attach the proposed pleading?
It shows the court the substance the intervenor would add, which helps the court judge whether the request fits the case and should be allowed.
Amendment History
The provisions of this Rule 2328 adopted June 7, 1940, effective February 3, 1941; amended December 16, 1983, effective July 1, 1984, 13 Pa.B. 3999; amended April 12, 1999, effective July 1, 1999, 29 Pa.B. 2274; amended December 16, 2003, effective July 1, 2004, 34 Pa.B. 9. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (257835) to (257836).
Source & verification. Rule text, the Official Note, and the amendment
history are reproduced verbatim from the Pennsylvania Code, Title 231, the official compilation
of rules adopted by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Last verified June 30, 2026. ·
Official text
Also known as: petition to intervenehow to file intervention