§ 208.16 Discontinuance of actions

If you decide to drop a court case before it's finished, your lawyer needs to tell the court officially. Within 20 days of dropping the case, your lawyer must file a paper with the court clerk that says the case is over. This paper is called a stipulation or statement of discontinuance.

There's an extra deadline if your case already has a court date coming up, like a hearing or conference, scheduled within that same 20 day window. In that situation, your lawyer has to file the paperwork before that scheduled court date, not after. This keeps everyone, including the court, from showing up for a hearing on a case that's already been dropped.

This rule basically makes sure the court's records stay accurate and up to date. It also saves time and resources by canceling scheduled proceedings that no longer need to happen.