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 Louisiana, if a party who has filed a lawsuit fails to take action to move the case toward resolution, it can create a presumption that the case has been abandoned. This inactivity can lead to the dismissal of the lawsuit 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. The specific time frames and conditions under which a DWOP can be issued are governed by Louisiana state statutes and rules of civil procedure. It is important for parties in a lawsuit to actively pursue their case to avoid such a dismissal.