What is the difference between class action and joinder?
Class action and joinder are two legal processes used when multiple individuals or entities need to file a lawsuit. A class action is a lawsuit in which the claims of a group of people are joined together and handled as a single case. In a class action, the people in the class are called the “plaintiffs” and the party they are suing is called the “defendant.” The class action is initiated by one or more named plaintiffs and the class members are referred to as “named plaintiffs” or “class representatives.” The named plaintiff is the representative of the class and will represent the interests of the entire class throughout the lawsuit. Joinder is when two or more separate lawsuits are joined together and handled as one. When joinder is used, each case kept its individual character, as the parties involved will have to litigate their own cause of action. The difference between class action and joinder is that in class action the individual claims are replaced by a single claim. In general, joinder is when each party in the suit is still able to make their own legal claims, whereas class action is when the individual claims are consolidated into one. In California, class actions are limited to certain types of cases, such as consumer protection or antitrust cases. Individuals can only join a class action if they meet specific criteria. Joinder, on the other hand, can be used in any proceeding where two or more cases are related, such as in cases involving multiple defendants or multiple plaintiffs.
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