Simple English definitions for legal terms
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A joint is something that is shared by two or more people or things. For example, when parents get divorced, they might have joint custody of their children, which means they both have legal or physical custody. Joint ownership means that two or more people own something together, like a house or a car. Joint liability means that two or more people are responsible for paying a debt or a fine. Joint tortfeasors are two or more people who are responsible for causing someone else to get hurt and have to pay for the damages together.
Definition: Held in common by two or more persons or things.
Some examples of the term "joint" in a legal sense include:
These examples illustrate the definition of "joint" because they all involve two or more people or things sharing something in common. In joint custody, both parents share custody of their child. In joint ownership, both owners share an interest in the property. In joint liability, multiple defendants share responsibility for a debt or claim. And in joint tortfeasors, multiple defendants share liability for the plaintiff's injuries.