What is the difference between class action and joinder?

Class action and joinder are two different types of lawsuits that involve multiple parties. In a class action, a group of people who have a common legal interest come together to sue a single defendant, often a business or government agency. A single representative of the class, called the class representative, sues on behalf of the group. In Arkansas, the class action must be approved by the court in order to proceed, and the court will typically only approve a class action if the common legal interests of the class members are similar enough to make a single lawsuit reasonable. In contrast, joinder is a lawsuit wherein multiple defendants are sued individually. For example, a group of people could bring separate suits against each person that wronged them, instead of a single class action lawsuit. Joinder is different than class action in that each party is responsible for their own legal costs, and each case could result in a separate court decision or judgement. Joinder also does not have to be approved by the court, so it can often move more quickly than a class action lawsuit.

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What is the difference between class action and joinder?

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