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Voluntary dismissal

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the defendant of the plaintiff's motion to dismiss, the action shall not be dismissed against the defendant's objections unless the counterclaim can remain pending for independent adjudication by the court. Unless otherwise specified in the order, a dismissal under this paragraph is without prejudice.
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Except as provided in paragraph (1) of this subdivision of this rule, an action shall not be dismissed at the plaintiff's instance save upon order of the court and upon such terms and conditions as the court deems proper. If a counterclaim has been pleaded by a defendant prior to the service upon
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whichever first occurs, or (ii) by filing a stipulation of dismissal signed by all parties who have appeared in the action. Unless otherwise stated in the notice of dismissal or stipulation, the dismissal is without prejudice, except that a notice of dismissal operates as an adjudication upon the
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Subject to the provisions of Rule 23(e), of Rule 66, and of any statute of the United States, an action may be dismissed by the plaintiff without order of court (i) by filing notice of dismissal at any time before service by the adverse party of an answer or of a motion for summary judgment,
712:(the party who originally filed the lawsuit). A voluntary dismissal with prejudice (meaning the plaintiff is permanently barred from further litigating the same subject matter) is the modern descendant of the 751:
Once the case has been voluntarily dismissed, if it is brought to court again a dismissal in this second case will mean the case can never again be brought back to court.
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when filed by a plaintiff who has once dismissed in any court of the United States or of any state an action based on or including the same claim.
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Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 41. Legal Information Institute, Cornell University Law School.
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If the defendant has taken such action, dismissal is only proper under two circumstances:
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b. the judge overseeing the case rules for the case to be dismissed
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Full text of Rule 41 (a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure:
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You can help Knowledge by 7: 793: 10: 870: 330:Case Information Statement 15: 565:As a matter of law (JMOL) 462:Resolution without trial 754:If the defendant has a 454:Request for production 449:Request for admissions 32:-related article is a 487:Involuntary dismissal 112:"Voluntary dismissal" 704:is termination of a 630:Declaratory judgment 298:Forum non conveniens 181:in the United States 97:improve this article 716:procedure known as 702:Voluntary dismissal 580:Motion to set aside 481:Voluntary dismissal 386:Indispensable party 360:affirmative defense 786:By Order of Court. 431:Initial conference 416:Pretrial procedure 735:has not filed an 699: 698: 173: 172: 165: 147: 45: 44: 861: 833: 828: 822: 816: 691: 684: 677: 488: 476:Summary judgment 471:Default judgment 221:Federal question 175: 174: 168: 161: 157: 154: 148: 146: 105: 81: 73: 66: 59: 52: 24: 17: 869: 868: 864: 863: 862: 860: 859: 858: 854:Civil procedure 839: 838: 837: 836: 829: 825: 817: 813: 808: 796: 695: 666: 635: 602: 593: 562: 553: 549:Burden of proof 497: 486: 445: 436:Interrogatories 410: 344: 325:Cause of action 322: 292:Change of venue 275: 251: 242: 230: 218: 180: 179:Civil procedure 169: 158: 152: 149: 106: 104: 94: 82: 71: 70: 12: 11: 5: 867: 857: 856: 851: 835: 834: 823: 810: 809: 807: 804: 803: 802: 800:Nolle prosequi 795: 792: 791: 790: 781: 780: 697: 696: 694: 693: 686: 679: 671: 668: 667: 665: 664: 657: 649: 646: 645: 639: 638: 637: 636: 634: 633: 627: 621: 615:Attorney's fee 612: 607: 596: 594: 592: 591: 582: 577: 572: 567: 556: 552: 551: 546: 534: 527: 526: 525: 520: 509: 506: 505: 499: 498: 496: 495: 490: 483: 478: 473: 467: 464: 463: 459: 458: 457: 456: 451: 444: 443: 438: 433: 428: 422: 419: 418: 412: 411: 409: 408: 403: 398: 393: 388: 383: 378: 373: 368: 363: 353: 347: 346: 345: 343: 342: 332: 327: 316: 311: 310: 304: 303: 302: 301: 294: 286: 285: 279: 278: 277: 276: 274: 273: 265: 258: 245: 243: 241: 240: 234: 228: 223: 216:Subject-matter 212: 207: 206: 200: 199: 198: 197: 192: 184: 183: 171: 170: 85: 83: 76: 69: 68: 61: 54: 46: 43: 42: 25: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 866: 855: 852: 850: 847: 846: 844: 832: 827: 820: 815: 811: 801: 798: 797: 787: 783: 782: 778: 773: 769: 768: 767: 766: 762: 759: 757: 752: 749: 746: 743: 740: 738: 734: 730: 726: 725:Federal court 721: 719: 715: 711: 707: 703: 692: 687: 685: 680: 678: 673: 672: 670: 669: 663: 662: 658: 656: 655: 651: 650: 648: 647: 644: 641: 640: 631: 628: 625: 622: 620: 619:American rule 616: 613: 611: 608: 606: 601: 598: 597: 595: 589: 587: 583: 581: 578: 576: 573: 571: 568: 566: 561: 558: 557: 555: 554: 550: 547: 544: 543: 538: 535: 533: 532: 528: 524: 521: 519: 516: 515: 514: 511: 510: 508: 507: 504: 501: 500: 494: 491: 489: 484: 482: 479: 477: 474: 472: 469: 468: 466: 465: 461: 460: 455: 452: 450: 447: 446: 442: 439: 437: 434: 432: 429: 427: 424: 423: 421: 420: 417: 414: 413: 407: 406:Other motions 404: 402: 399: 397: 394: 392: 389: 387: 384: 382: 379: 377: 374: 372: 369: 367: 364: 361: 357: 354: 352: 349: 348: 340: 336: 333: 331: 328: 326: 321: 318: 317: 315: 314: 313: 312: 309: 306: 305: 300: 299: 295: 293: 290: 289: 288: 287: 284: 281: 280: 271: 270: 266: 264: 263: 259: 257: 256: 250: 247: 246: 244: 238: 235: 233: 229: 227: 224: 222: 217: 214: 213: 211: 210: 209: 208: 205: 202: 201: 196: 193: 191: 188: 187: 186: 185: 182: 177: 176: 167: 164: 156: 153:December 2009 145: 142: 138: 135: 131: 128: 124: 121: 117: 114: –  113: 109: 108:Find sources: 102: 98: 92: 91: 86:This article 84: 80: 75: 74: 67: 62: 60: 55: 53: 48: 47: 41: 39: 35: 31: 26: 23: 19: 18: 826: 818: 814: 785: 771: 764: 763: 760: 756:counterclaim 753: 750: 747: 744: 741: 722: 717: 701: 700: 659: 652: 624:English rule 585: 570:Renewed JMOL 540: 529: 480: 401:Intervention 396:Interpleader 371:Counterclaim 335:Class action 296: 269:Quasi in rem 267: 260: 253: 232:Supplemental 204:Jurisdiction 159: 150: 140: 133: 126: 119: 107: 95:Please help 90:verification 87: 38:expanding it 27: 588:(new trial) 441:Depositions 255:In personam 843:Categories 806:References 714:common law 661:Certiorari 605:Injunction 493:Settlement 376:Crossclaim 123:newspapers 849:Law stubs 733:defendant 710:plaintiff 542:voir dire 523:defendant 518:plaintiff 426:Discovery 391:Impleader 320:Complaint 308:Pleadings 226:Diversity 794:See also 718:retraxit 654:Mandamus 560:Judgment 351:Demurrer 341:) ) 339:2005 Act 249:Personal 706:lawsuit 610:Damages 590: ) 586:De novo 539: ( 513:Parties 381:Joinder 358: ( 337: ( 237:Removal 137:scholar 777:merits 737:answer 643:Appeal 600:Remedy 531:Pro se 356:Answer 262:In rem 139:  132:  125:  118:  110:  503:Trial 366:Reply 283:Venue 144:JSTOR 130:books 28:This 784:(2) 770:(1) 537:Jury 116:news 34:stub 99:by 30:law 845:: 720:. 690:e 683:t 676:v 632:) 626:) 617:( 603:( 563:( 545:) 362:) 323:( 272:) 252:( 239:) 219:( 166:) 160:( 155:) 151:( 141:· 134:· 127:· 120:· 93:. 65:e 58:t 51:v 40:.

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