§ 210.16 Discontinuance of civil actions

When a lawsuit gets dropped or settled before it's finished, the plaintiff's attorney has to tell the court about it officially. They do this by filing a paper called a "stipulation" or "statement" of discontinuance with the court clerk. This has to happen within 20 days after the case is discontinued.

If the case already has a court date or hearing scheduled within those 20 days, the attorney can't wait the full 20 days. Instead, they need to file the paperwork before that scheduled court date arrives. This makes sure the court knows the case is over before anyone shows up expecting a hearing that isn't needed anymore.

This rule basically keeps the court's calendar accurate and stops wasted time. Without this notice, judges and court staff might prepare for hearings on cases that have already been resolved.