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 North Carolina, if a party who has filed a lawsuit fails to actively pursue the case, it may be presumed that the case has been abandoned. This can lead to the court dismissing the lawsuit for want of prosecution, often abbreviated as DWOP. The dismissal for lack of progress can be initiated by a motion from the opposing party or can be done by the judge on their own accord (sua sponte). The specific rules and time frames for when a court may dismiss a case for want of prosecution are outlined in the North Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure. It is important for parties to a lawsuit to be diligent in moving their case forward to avoid such a dismissal.