When a party who files a lawsuit unreasonably delays moving the lawsuit toward a resolution (delays prosecution of the case), it is presumed the case has been abandoned, and the court may dismiss the lawsuit for want of prosecution. Such a dismissal for want of prosecution is commonly referred to as a DWOP. A party may ask the court to dismiss a case for want of prosecution, or the judge may do so without a request from a party (sua sponte).
In Arkansas, when a party who has filed a lawsuit fails to actively pursue the case, it can lead to a presumption that the case has been abandoned. This inactivity can result in the court dismissing the case for want of prosecution, often abbreviated as DWOP. Either a party involved in the lawsuit can file a motion to dismiss the case for want of prosecution, or the judge may decide to dismiss the case on their own initiative, which is known as a sua sponte dismissal. This mechanism serves to prevent undue delays in the legal process and to ensure that the court's time and resources are used efficiently. The specific rules and timeframes for when a court may dismiss a case for want of prosecution can be found in the Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure.