[header] How to dismiss a civil court case [title] Understand dismissals of a lawsuit. [step] A court may dismiss a case " with prejudice " or " without prejudice. " in the first situation, a plaintiff may not file another suit with the same legal claim when the case is dismissed " with prejudice. 
" however, where a case is dismissed " without prejudice, " then the plaintiff may bring another suit on that same claim so long as the statute of limitations has not run out. [substeps] Motions to dismiss may also be " voluntary " or " involuntary.