How many parties can a lawyer represent in the same case? To answer this question, we need to know two premises. 1. Does the lawyer represent * * * and plaintiff, or * * * and defendant, or plaintiff and defendant? 2. Is the nature of the case a civil lawsuit or a criminal lawsuit? The defendant may entrust one or two persons as defenders. A defender shall not defend two or more defendants in the same case who have not been dealt with but whose criminal facts are related. In the same case, several defendants have different positions and roles in the case, and their interests are consistent and conflicting. In the same case, if a lawyer defends multiple defendants at the same time, it may put the defender in a contradictory position and it is difficult to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of multiple defendants at the same time. For two or more * * * co-defendants who are co-obligors of * * *, their rights and obligations are integrated and do not involve the redistribution of interests. For example, the property or infringement cases of husband and wife who are co-defendants of * * * * shall be handled according to the general principles of the Civil Procedure Law, and it is allowed to entrust the same lawyer to represent the litigation. If more than two defendants are joint obligors, the legal rights and obligations need to be redistributed. For example, in the case of damages between * * and the infringer as the defendant, although there is temporary consistency in the litigation against the other party, it involves the future redistribution of interests between the parties. The same lawyer shall not be entrusted to represent the lawsuit.
If there is a conflict of interest between principals, the agent's agency behavior may harm the interests of one of the principals, and even many parties think that their own interests are harmed. Therefore, if there is a conflict of interest between the clients, the court does not allow the same person to act as his agent ad litem.
Legal basis: According to Article 39 of the Lawyers Law, a lawyer may not act as an agent for both parties in the same case, nor may he represent legal affairs that have conflicts of interest with himself or his close relatives.