Can I add more plaintiffs and defendants to my federal case?

Hawaii Law Forum
1

I need to add both more plaintiffs and defendants to my existing federal lawsuit. I know there’s a lot of legal stuff involved, but can anyone tell me if this would be considered a Joinder of Claims? I don’t know much about this process, and I’m not an attorney, so any advice would be super helpful!

2

You can’t add plaintiffs unless you’re a licensed attorney. But you can add defendants by filing a Motion for Leave to Amend. You’d need to attach a proposed amended complaint with the new defendants. After that, you’d need to serve the new defendants again once it’s approved by the court.

3

@Birch
Wait, so I can add defendants without being an attorney? I thought you had to have one represent you for everything.

4

Zeke said:
@Birch
Wait, so I can add defendants without being an attorney? I thought you had to have one represent you for everything.

Yeah, you can add defendants, but if you’re bringing in multiple plaintiffs, you’d need a law firm to represent them. You can’t represent them yourself, that’s unauthorized practice of law.

5

I think the issue of adding plaintiffs is more complicated if you’re not a lawyer. You might want to consult a law firm to see how they can help with getting new plaintiffs in the case.

6

If you’re just trying to add defendants, you could file that motion. But be careful with the paperwork! If it’s not filed correctly, the court might reject it. Make sure you have everything in order before submitting.

7

@Sloan
Got it! I’ll make sure to double-check everything. Thanks for the tip!

8

Can I ask a dumb question? What exactly is a Motion for Leave to Amend? Is it the same as asking for permission to change something in the case?

9

Atlas said:
Can I ask a dumb question? What exactly is a Motion for Leave to Amend? Is it the same as asking for permission to change something in the case?

Not a dumb question! A Motion for Leave to Amend is basically a request to the court for permission to change or add things to your case, like adding new defendants or claims. It’s a formal way of saying, ‘Hey, I need to update this.’

10

Just curious, would filing a Motion for Leave to Amend be the same if I wanted to change something else in my case, like the claims or the facts?

11

Jai said:
Just curious, would filing a Motion for Leave to Amend be the same if I wanted to change something else in my case, like the claims or the facts?

Exactly! It’s used for any kind of changes to your original complaint. You’d just need to specify what you’re changing or adding in the motion.