Legal Definitions - pretensive joinder

Pretensive joinder is a legal term that refers to the joining of defendants in a lawsuit solely to obtain venue in a jurisdiction where the case could not otherwise be tried.

For example, if a plaintiff wants to file a lawsuit in a specific state but the defendants are not located in that state, they may add additional defendants who are located in that state solely for the purpose of establishing venue. This is known as pretensive joinder.

Pretensive joinder is considered unethical and can result in sanctions or dismissal of the case.