(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 of them 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 of them 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
Part IV: Parties · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 13, 2026
In one sentenceRule 20 lets multiple people join together as plaintiffs or get sued together as defendants when their claims grow out of the same events and share a common question.
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 he asserts no claim and who asserts no claim against him, and may order separate trials or make other orders to prevent delay or prejudice.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 20 answers a practical question: when can several people team up in one lawsuit instead of filing separately? Plaintiffs may join together if they are asserting rights that arise from the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences, and if some question of law or fact common to all of them will come up in the case. The same test applies to joining multiple defendants — they can be sued together if a right to relief against them, asserted jointly, severally, or as alternatives, arises from the same transaction or series of transactions and shares a common question. No one joined this way has to be interested in every form of relief sought; the court enters judgment for each plaintiff and against each defendant according to that person's actual rights and liabilities.
Joining parties properly does not mean everyone's claims get tried together no matter what. Rule 20(b) gives the court authority to order separate trials, or make other orders, to keep a party from being embarrassed, delayed, or put to unnecessary expense because they got pulled into a case involving claims that do not concern them directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can two people who were injured in the same event sue the same defendant together?
Yes, if their claims arise out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of occurrences and share at least one common question of law or fact — the classic example being multiple people hurt in the same accident.
Do all the joined plaintiffs have to want the same relief?
No. Rule 20 does not require every plaintiff or defendant to be interested in obtaining or defending against all the relief sought. The court enters judgment for each party according to that party's own rights and liabilities.
Can the court still separate the claims for trial even though joinder was proper?
Yes. Rule 20(b) lets the court order separate trials or other measures to prevent a party from being embarrassed, delayed, or burdened with expense by claims that do not involve them.
How is permissive joinder under Rule 20 different from Rule 19?
Rule 20 is about parties who may join voluntarily because their claims share common facts or law. Rule 19 is about parties who must be joined because the case cannot reach a sound result without them.
Source & verification. Rule text, Advisory Committee Notes, and
amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure,
adopted by the Utah Supreme Court. Last verified July 13, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: permissive joinder of partiessuing together in one lawsuitmultiple plaintiffs same casejoining multiple defendants