In legal terms, what does "joinder" mean?

"Joinder" refers to the coupling or joining of legal actions or parties in a single legal proceeding. This term is commonly used in the context of including multiple parties in a lawsuit or consolidating various claims that arise from the same set of facts into one legal case. The purpose of joinder is to promote judicial efficiency, prevent inconsistent verdicts, and ensure that all parties relevant to a dispute are present in one case rather than fragmented across multiple lawsuits.

By joining actions or parties, the court can resolve all related issues at once, thereby saving time and resources for both the legal system and the parties involved. This concept is essential in legal practice as it helps streamline the process and ensures comprehensive adjudication.

In contrast, the other options describe scenarios that do not accurately capture the concept of "joinder." For example, separation of legal parties implies the opposite of what joinder entails, and deferring legal action does not involve combining or joining parties or actions. Meanwhile, summation of legal arguments relates more to the closing statements in a trial rather than the joining of legal entities or claims.