What are the rules for joinder of parties in a civil suit?

In Washington, joinder of parties in a civil suit is governed by the Washington Rules of Civil Procedure (RCW 4.28). Under these rules, parties may be joined as plaintiffs or defendants in a single action if they assert any right to relief that arises out of the same transaction, occurrence, or series of transactions or occurrences. Joinder is also possible if the claims or defenses of the parties have a common question of law or fact. A party can be added either by the court granting a motion to join them or by the parties involved adding them to the suit through ‘transformative joinder’. Transformative joinder requires the plaintiff to serve the additional party with the summons, complaint, and any other relevant documents. The added party must then respond to the motion within the prescribed time limit. If the party does not respond to the motion, the court can rule in favor of the plaintiff. In Washington, courts generally favor joinder of parties when possible, as it allows for more efficient adjudication of disputes and prevents a party from making the same claim against multiple parties in multiple proceedings. However, joinder can only be granted if the parties involved can satisfy the criteria required under the RCW 4.28.

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What are the rules for joinder of parties in a civil suit?

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