What is a defining feature of a joint promise?

A defining feature of a joint promise is that all parties involved agree to fulfill a common obligation. This means that the commitment made by the joint promisers is interconnected; each party contributes to achieving a collective goal or duty. In essence, the promises made are not isolated to individual parties but rather bound together in the pursuit of a single, shared obligation.

In a legal context, joint promises create a situation where the fulfillment of the obligation depends on the cooperation and performance of all parties involved. If one party fails to meet the terms of the joint promise, it can affect the ability of the others to fulfill the overall obligation, thereby highlighting the collective nature of the promise.

The other options reflect aspects that do not accurately capture the essence of a joint promise. The idea of independent promises suggests a lack of interdependence that contradicts the nature of joint obligations. Verbal agreements can be a type of promise but are not exclusive to joint promises, as joint obligations can also be established through written contracts. Lastly, the notion of individual performance timelines implies that each party operates separately rather than together, which is not characteristic of a joint promise. Overall, the core characteristic lies in the shared commitment to a singular obligation among multiple parties.