Legal Definitions - intervenor

An intervenor is an individual or entity who voluntarily joins an existing lawsuit because they have a direct interest in the outcome or believe their rights or interests will be significantly affected by the court's decision. They are not originally a plaintiff (the one suing) or a defendant (the one being sued), but they seek permission from the court to participate in the proceedings to protect their stake.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Environmental Protection: Imagine a city is sued by a real estate developer because the city denied a permit for a large housing project near a protected wetland. A local environmental advocacy group, which was not involved in the initial permit denial, might ask the court for permission to join the lawsuit as an intervenor.

  Explanation: The environmental group voluntarily enters a pending lawsuit (developer vs. city) because they have a direct personal stake in protecting the wetland and ensuring the city's environmental regulations are upheld. The outcome of the lawsuit could directly impact the habitat they aim to preserve.

• Family Law and Child Welfare: Consider a child custody dispute between two parents. If the child has been living primarily with a grandparent for several years, that grandparent might seek to join the custody proceedings as an intervenor.

  Explanation: The grandparent voluntarily enters the existing custody lawsuit because they have a significant personal stake in the child's well-being and future living arrangements, and their established relationship with the child could be directly affected by the court's decision.

• Business Contract Dispute: Suppose two large manufacturing companies are in a lawsuit over a breach of a major supply contract for a critical component. A smaller, third company that relies exclusively on one of the larger companies for that specific component, and whose entire business operations would be jeopardized if the supply contract is terminated or drastically altered, might seek to become an intervenor.

  Explanation: The smaller company voluntarily seeks to join the lawsuit between the two larger corporations because its financial viability and business operations are directly tied to the outcome of that contract dispute, giving it a significant personal stake.