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Fla. Sm. Cl. R. 7.110

Dismissal of Actions

activein force · 2026-07-01 – presentact-effective-date

(a) Voluntary Dismissal; Effect of.

(1) By Parties. Except in actions where property has

been seized or is in the custody of the court, an action may be

dismissed by the plaintiff without order of court by:

(A) by the plaintiff informing the defendant and

clerk of the dismissal before the trial date fixed in the notice to

appear, or before retirement of the jury in a case tried before a jury

or before submission of a nonjury case to the court for decision; or

(B) by filing a stipulation of dismissal signed by all

parties who have appeared in the action.

The dismissal is without prejudice unless otherwise

stated. A dismissal operates as an adjudication on the merits when

a plaintiff has dismissed an action based on or including the same

claim in any court.

(2) By Order of the Court. Except as provided in this

rule, an action must not be dismissed except on order of the court

with terms and conditions as the court finds proper. A dismissal

under this subdivision is without prejudice unless otherwise

specified in the order.

(b) Involuntary Dismissal. Any party may move for

dismissal of an action or of any claim against that party for failure

of an adverse party to comply with these rules or any order of court.

After a party seeking affirmative relief in an action has completed

the presentation of evidence, any other party may move for a

dismissal on the ground that on the facts and the law the party

seeking affirmative relief has shown no right to relief without

waiving the right to offer evidence in the event the motion is not

granted. The court may then determine and render judgment

against the party seeking affirmative relief or may decline to render

any judgment until the close of all the evidence. Unless the court

otherwise specifies in its order for dismissal, a dismissal under this

subdivision and any dismissal not provided for in this rule, other

than a dismissal for lack of jurisdiction or for improper venue or for

lack of an indispensable party, operates as an adjudication on the

merits.

(c) Counterclaim. If a counterclaim has been filed by the

defendant before the plaintiff voluntarily dismissed the original

action, the defendant’s counterclaim remains pending unless the

defendant agrees to its dismissal. The provisions of this rule apply

to the dismissal of any counterclaim.

(d) Costs. Costs must be assessed and judgment for costs

entered in any action dismissed under this rule. If a party who has

once dismissed a claim in any court of this state commences an

action based on or including the same claim against the same

adverse party, the court must order for the payment of costs of the

claim previously dismissed in an amount found proper and stay the

proceedings in the action until the party seeking affirmative relief

has complied with the order.

(e) Failure to Prosecute.

(1) If it appears on the face of the record that no

activity has been taken by filing of pleadings, order of court, or

otherwise for a period of 6 months, the action must be dismissed by

the court on its own motion or on motion of any interested person,

whether a party to the action or not.

(2) Prior to any action being dismissed for failure

to prosecute, 30 days’ notice must be provided to the parties.

(3) An action cannot be dismissed for failure to

prosecute if:

(A) a stipulation staying the action has been

filed with the court;

(B) a stay order has been filed; or

(C) a party shows good cause in writing at

least 5 days before the hearing on the motion why the action should

remain pending.

History

Committee Notes 1978 Amendment. Former subdivision (e) provided for 1 year rather than 6 months. 1984 Amendment. Subdivision (e) is changed to allow more time for an attorney to inquire about the status of a claim. Many actions are disposed of by a stipulation to pay, and it may take longer than 10 days to determine the amount due, if any. 1996 Amendment. Subdivision (e) is amended to be consistent with Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.420(e), which includes specific language concerning a stipulation staying the action approved by the court or a stay order as a condition when an action would not automatically be up for dismissal based on lack of prosecution. Court Commentary 1972 Amendment. Substantially the same as Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.420.

Provenance

Source
floridabar.org
Retrieved
2026-09-14
Edition
2026-09-14
Content hash
d14fc0fd92da17059646112022dc99aad3d8c8c8488100d146acfc29fd0ee3b3
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Fla. Sm. Cl. R. 7.110 — Dismissal of Actions · binding.law