joinder

Definition

1. Noun (Legal):
   • The act of joining or uniting: In legal contexts, "joinder" refers to the process of combining multiple parties, claims, or issues into a single legal action or proceeding. It typically involves the consolidation of defendants or causes of action in a lawsuit.
   • A procedural device: "Joinder" is a mechanism in civil procedure that allows a court to hear and decide related matters together, promoting judicial efficiency and avoiding multiple lawsuits.

Usage Examples

• Legal context:

  • The court granted the plaintiff's motion for joinder of the two defendants. (The court allowed the two defendants to be combined into one lawsuit.)
  • Improper joinder can lead to a case being dismissed. (If the parties or claims are wrongly combined, the court may reject the case.)

• General legal usage:

  • The joinder of issues occurred when both sides agreed on the facts to be tried. (The parties formally combined their disputes into a single set of questions for the court.)

Advanced Usage

• "Joinder of parties": The inclusion of multiple plaintiffs or defendants in one lawsuit.

  • The joinder of parties is governed by Rule 20 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. (The rule specifies when multiple people can be sued or sue together.)

• "Joinder of claims": The combination of multiple legal claims by the same plaintiff against the same defendant in a single action.

  • The plaintiff's joinder of claims for breach of contract and negligence was allowed. (Both claims were heard together in one case.)

• "Compulsory joinder": A requirement that certain parties must be included in a lawsuit for it to proceed.

  • The court ordered compulsory joinder because the absent party's rights would be affected. (The absent person had to be added to the case.)

Variants and Related Words

• Join (verb): To unite or connect; in law, to become a party to a proceeding.

  • The defendant chose to join the lawsuit. (The defendant decided to become a participant in the case.)

• Joinder (noun, non-legal): Rarely used outside law; in general English, it may mean a connection or union.

  • The joinder of the two rivers created a large waterway. (The merging of the rivers formed a bigger stream.)

Synonyms

• Consolidation: The act of combining multiple legal actions into one.

  • The consolidation of the two cases saved court time. (Joinder of the cases reduced judicial workload.)

• Union: The state of being joined together.

  • The union of the parties in one suit was efficient. (Joinder of the parties was practical.)

• Combination: The act of bringing together separate elements.

  • The combination of claims in one complaint is common. (Joinder of claims is standard practice.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Join in: To become a participant in an activity or legal proceeding.
  • The third party was allowed to join in the lawsuit. (The third party was permitted to participate.)

Related Idioms

• Join forces: To combine efforts or resources with others.

  • The two companies joined forces to file a joint lawsuit. (They cooperated and used joinder to sue together.)

• Join the fray: To enter a conflict or dispute.

  • The investor decided to join the fray by adding his claim to the case. (He entered the legal dispute via joinder.)