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WY · rules

W.R.C.P. 41

Dismissal of Actions

activein force · 2026-09-21 – presentact-effective-date

(a) Voluntary Dismissal. —

(1) By the Plaintiff. —

(A) Without a Court Order. — Subject to Rules 23(e), 23.1(c), 23.2, and

66 and any applicable statute, the plaintiff may dismiss an action without

a court order by filing:

(i) a notice of dismissal before the opposing party serves either an

answer or a motion for summary judgment; or

(ii) a stipulation of dismissal signed by all parties who have appeared.

(B) Effect. — Unless the notice or stipulation states otherwise, the

dismissal is without prejudice. But if the plaintiff previously dismissed

any federal or state court action based on or including the same claim, a

notice of dismissal operates as an adjudication on the merits.

(2) By Court Order; Effect. — Except as provided in Rule 41(a)(1), an

action may be dismissed at the plaintiff’s request only by court order, on

terms that the court considers proper. If a counterclaim was plead by a

defendant prior to the service upon the defendant of the plaintiff’s motion to

dismiss, the counterclaim shall remain pending for independent adjudication by the court to the extent permitted by the court’s subject matter

jurisdiction. Unless otherwise specified in the order, a dismissal under this

paragraph is without prejudice.

(3) Not a Failure Otherwise Than Upon The Merits. — Voluntary dismissal as provided for herein does not constitute a failure otherwise than

upon the merits for the purposes of W.S. § 1-3-118.

(b) Involuntary Dismissal; Effect. —

(1) By Defendant. — If the plaintiff fails to prosecute or to comply with

these rules or a court order, a defendant may move to dismiss the action or

any claim against it. Unless the dismissal order states otherwise, a dismissal

under this subdivision (b) and any dismissal not under this rule — except

one for lack of jurisdiction, improper venue, or failure to join a party under

Rule 19 — operates as an adjudication on the merits.

(2) By the Court. — Upon its own motion, after reasonable notice to the

parties, the court may dismiss, without prejudice, any action not prosecuted

or brought to trial with due diligence. See U.R.D.C. 203.

(c) Dismissing a Counterclaim, Crossclaim, or Third-Party Claim. — This

rule applies to a dismissal of any counterclaim, crossclaim, or third-party

claim. A claimant’s voluntary dismissal under Rule 41(a)(1)(A)(i) must be

made:

(1) before a responsive pleading is served; or

(2) if there is no responsive pleading, before evidence is introduced at a

hearing or trial.

(d) Costs of a Previously Dismissed Action. — If a plaintiff who previously

dismissed an action in any court files an action based on or including the same

claim against the same defendant, the court:

(1) may order the plaintiff to pay all or part of the costs of that previous

action; and

(2) may stay the proceedings until the plaintiff has complied.

History

History: Added February 2, 2017, effective March 1, 2017; amended July 21, 2026, effective September 21, 2026.

Provenance

Source
wyocourts.gov
Retrieved
2026-09-24
Edition
2026-09-24
Content hash
f97f7e76d6fd8139c5837eeecd0b91f4a885534426fd4ba929a539161be81149
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