18.01 Independent or alternative claims

If you're bringing a claim against someone in a lawsuit, you don't have to limit yourself to just one claim. You can bring as many claims as you actually have against that person, all in the same case. This applies whether you're the one starting the lawsuit, filing a counterclaim, bringing in another party, or making a claim against someone on the same side as you.

These claims can be based on different legal theories, and they don't have to fit together perfectly. You can list them as separate claims, or you can list them as alternatives to each other, meaning you're not sure which one applies but you want the court to consider both. It doesn't matter if one claim is a legal claim and another is based on fairness or equity. You can mix and match as needed.

This rule exists to save time and avoid multiple lawsuits over the same basic dispute. Instead of filing separate cases for each issue you have with someone, you can bring everything together in one case. This makes things easier for everyone involved and helps the court resolve the whole dispute at once.