Legal Definitions - DLOP docket

DLOP stands for Dismissal for Lack of Prosecution.

A DLOP docket is a list maintained by a court of cases that are at risk of being dismissed because the parties involved (usually the plaintiff or the party initiating the action) have failed to take the necessary steps or actions to move the case forward within a reasonable or court-mandated timeframe. Courts use this mechanism to manage their caseload, prevent cases from languishing indefinitely, and ensure that legal disputes are resolved in a timely manner. If a case remains on the DLOP docket without sufficient activity, a judge may ultimately dismiss it, which means the lawsuit ends without a decision on its merits.

• Example 1: Personal Injury Lawsuit

  Sarah files a personal injury lawsuit after a car accident. After the initial filing and some preliminary exchanges of information, her attorney experiences a severe illness and, inadvertently, misses several court-ordered deadlines for discovery responses and fails to schedule any depositions for over a year. The opposing counsel also notes the lack of activity.

  How it illustrates the term: The court, observing the prolonged inactivity and missed deadlines, would likely place Sarah's case on the DLOP docket. This serves as a formal warning that if no significant action is taken to advance the case, the judge may dismiss it, effectively ending Sarah's lawsuit without a resolution on the merits.

• Example 2: Business Contract Dispute

  A small tech startup, "Innovate Solutions," sues a larger software vendor for breach of contract. After the initial complaint and the vendor's response, the startup's lead counsel leaves the firm, and the new attorney assigned to the case struggles to get up to speed. As a result, Innovate Solutions misses a court-mandated deadline to submit a joint pre-trial statement and fails to respond to the vendor's settlement offer for six months.

  How it illustrates the term: The court would likely add Innovate Solutions' case to the DLOP docket because of the significant delay and lack of progress. This signals to both parties that the court expects the case to move forward, and if the startup continues to be inactive, the judge may dismiss the case to clear the court's calendar.

• Example 3: Family Law Case (Divorce)

  John and Mary file for divorce. After the initial petitions and some preliminary hearings, both parties become uncooperative and fail to provide necessary financial disclosures or attend court-ordered mediation sessions for over nine months. Their respective attorneys also struggle to get responses from them to move the case toward a final resolution.

  How it illustrates the term: Even in family law, a court can place such an inactive divorce case on a DLOP docket. This indicates that the court is concerned about the lack of progress and will dismiss the case if the parties do not take concrete steps to finalize their divorce, such as completing financial disclosures or scheduling a final hearing.