Is a defendant entitled to recover attorney fees from a plaintiff in voluntary dismissal before trial?

California, United States of America


The following excerpt is from Payne v. Am. Contractors Indem. Co., C084201 (Cal. App. 2018):

recovery of attorney fees by defendant in all cases of voluntary dismissal before trial would encourage plaintiffs to maintain pointless litigation in moot cases or against insolvent defendants to avoid liability for those fees." (See Santisas v. Goodin (1998) 17 Cal.4th 599, 613.)

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