Resolve the core question in multiple defendants
Multiple defendants usually comes down to a small number of concrete facts rather than a general impression of the case. Settle whether each proposed defendant is a proper party first; the exact legal name of each defendant deserves its own check rather than an inference from the first answer.
Before anything is locked into the record, this is the cheapest point to catch an error. Settle a separate service address for each now, before it can quietly shape a filing, deadline, or service decision.
Put whether each proposed defendant is a proper party at the top of a short working note, then note the exact legal name of each defendant on its own line, sourced separately.
Test the five parts of this step
The remaining facts to nail down are a separate service address for each, whether the form needs an attachment for additional parties, and how the claim relates to each defendant. Source each one to a document or an official instruction rather than recollection.
Keep the notes short but always sourced. Date the entry for whether the form needs an attachment for additional parties, and attach how the claim relates to each defendant to the specific document that supports it.
What to save for a later this question review
Anchor the file to the primary documents, and give whether each proposed defendant is a proper party and how the claim relates to each defendant their own labeled lines instead of one combined note.
Treat the example as a template for the file, not a final answer on its own. With the facts confirmed, link a separate service address for each to both its record and the controlling official instruction.
The exact legal name of each defendant and whether the form needs an attachment for additional parties appear in the example as separate, individually-sourced facts. The point of the example is to organize facts, not stand in for the local rule.
Court-specific limits on multiple defendants
On multiple defendants, a single-state example is not a substitute for the local rule. Confirm the controlling local instruction before moving forward.
Official sources to verify this step
Important state-level caveat: Forms for additional parties and rules on joinder differ by state and claim type. The sources cited here illustrate procedure; they are not a nationwide standard for multiple defendants. Weigh this against the actual court's own instructions, not a general summary.
The last verification for this point
Before leaving multiple defendants, jot down what is verified and what is still open, in two short lines. Look at both lines once more before moving forward.