Held in common by two or more persons or things. Some regular uses of the term “joint” in a legal sense include:
- “Joint custody” is an arrangement in which both parents possess either legal custody or physical custody of a child or children following divorce or separation.
- “Joint defendant” is a defendant involved in litigation with two or more defendants.
- “Joint liability” refers to liability that is shared across two or more defendants due to their shared responsibility for a debt, claim, or judgment.
- “Joint ownership” is an arrangement in which each owner has an undivided interest in property, usually with a right of survivorship. See also joint tenancy.
- “Joint tortfeasors” are two or more defendants whose negligence contributed to the plaintiff’s injuries and are thus jointly liable for damages in the same litigation.
[Last updated in June of 2020 by the Wex Definitions Team]