(a) Permissive Joinder. All persons may join in one (1) 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 these persons will arise in the action. All persons may be joined in one (1) 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 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.
Rule 20.Permissive Joinder of Parties.
Current through February 2024 · Last verified July 8, 2026
In one sentenceRule 20 lets multiple plaintiffs join together or multiple defendants be sued together in one lawsuit whenever their claims arise from the same transaction or occurrence and share a common question of law or fact, while letting the court order separate trials to avoid unfair prejudice, delay, or expense to any party.
Full Text of Rule 20
(b) Separate Trials. The court may make such orders as will prevent a party from being embarrassed, delayed, or put to expense by the inclusion of a party against whom the party asserts no claim and who asserts no claim against the party, and may order separate trials or make other orders to prevent delay or prejudice.
Amendment History
Rhode Island does not publish a per-rule amendment history inside the compiled rules text reproduced here. The text above is verified current through the source’s own February 2024 printing; for the underlying adopting orders and any later amendments, see the Rhode Island Judiciary’s compiled rules page.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 20 covers when unrelated people can team up in the same lawsuit, as opposed to Rule 19's requirement that certain people be joined. Plaintiffs can join together if they are asserting rights — jointly, severally, or as alternatives — that grow out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences, and if the case will raise at least one common question of law or fact among them. Defendants can be joined together on the same basis. No plaintiff or defendant has to care about every form of relief sought in the case; the court can enter judgment for or against each party according to that party's own rights and liabilities.
Because joining extra parties can create friction, the rule lets the court step in and order separate trials, or make any other order it needs to, so that a party is not embarrassed, delayed, or put to needless expense by being lumped in with a claim it has nothing to do with.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can multiple people who were hurt in the same incident sue together in one case?
Yes, if their claims arise out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences and share at least one common question of law or fact, Rule 20 lets them join as plaintiffs in a single action.
Does every plaintiff joined in a case have to want the same relief?
No. A plaintiff or defendant does not need to be interested in obtaining or defending against every form of relief sought. Judgment can be entered for or against each party based on that party's own rights and liabilities.
What if joining extra parties is unfair to someone in the case?
The court can order separate trials or make other orders to keep a party from being embarrassed, delayed, or put to unnecessary expense because it was joined with a claim it has no connection to.
Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Rhode Island Superior Court Rules of Civil Procedure (R.I. Super. Ct. R. Civ. P. 20). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Rhode Island (R.I. Gen. Laws § 8-6-2). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 8, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: permissive joinder of partiessuing multiple defendants togetherjoining plaintiffs in one lawsuitmultiple plaintiffs same casesame transaction or occurrence rulerequest for separate trialsjoint lawsuit rules