Joint and several liability

Imagine you and your friend promised to split the cost of a toy you wanted to buy. You both agreed to pay half each, but then your friend doesn't have any money with them when it's time to buy the toy. In this case, joint and several liability means that you are both responsible for the full amount of the cost of the toy, not just the half you agreed to pay.

This means that if your friend can't pay, you have to pay for the entire toy to make sure the person you bought it from is fully paid. It also means that you could try to get the money back from your friend later, but the person you bought the toy from can come after you for the full amount, regardless of whether your friend pays their share or not.

Joint and several liability often comes up in legal cases where multiple parties are found responsible for damages or debts. It means that each party can individually be held responsible for the entire amount owed or damages owed, not just their portion.