How do most breach of contract lawsuit cases end?

Of resolved cases, 35% settle, 33% are dismissed, 20% reach judgment.

How long does a breach of contract lawsuit take?

Q: How long does a breach of contract lawsuit take?

A breach of contract lawsuit in U.S. federal court takes a median of 273 days from filing to resolution. 80% resolve between 127 days and 2.3 years. Based on 308,088 real cases.

Breach of contract — commercial contract disputes in federal court — take a median of 273 days from filing to resolution, based on 308,088 real cases in the public federal court record. Most resolve between 127 days and 2.3 years — here's the full picture.

Median

273d

Faster 25%

127d

Slower 25%

1.4 yr

Slowest 10%

2.3 yr

Filing to termination · 308,088 cases · median 273 days

How breach of contract lawsuit cases end

Of 250,336 resolved cases — the observed record, not a prediction of any one case.

35%settle· typically 298d

33%are dismissed· typically 186d

20%reach judgment· typically 282d

8%transfer or stay (incl. MDL)· typically 148d

5%are remanded· typically 71d

Breach of contract duration by court

Median time to resolution in the districts with the most breach of contract lawsuit cases.

District	Cases	Median	Slowest 10%
C.D. Cal.	19,615	213d	2.1 yr
S.D. Tex.	15,905	273d	2.0 yr
S.D. Fla.	14,396	180d	1.3 yr
S.D.N.Y.	13,272	267d	3.2 yr
E.D. La.	11,879	307d	1.7 yr
M.D. Fla.	11,718	238d	1.6 yr
D.N.J.	9,883	292d	2.7 yr
N.D. Ill.	9,833	256d	2.8 yr
E.D. Pa.	9,104	196d	1.7 yr
N.D. Tex.	8,771	221d	1.6 yr
D. Colo.	7,819	314d	2.2 yr
N.D. Cal.	6,843	293d	2.9 yr
W.D. Tex.	6,473	287d	2.3 yr
N.D. Ga.	6,346	287d	2.3 yr
E.D.N.Y.	6,048	334d	3.2 yr

Have a specific breach of contract lawsuit?

These are averages across every breach of contract lawsuit. For a forecast tuned to your case — your court, your amount, your posture — get a free estimate, or the full report built from your complaint.

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Other case types

Patent litigation Employment litigation Antitrust litigation Civil rights litigation Trademark & copyright Personal injury (federal)Other torts (federal)Social Security appeals Immigration litigation Prisoner petitions Real property (federal)Other federal statutory

Source: data/fjc/civil.parquet (Federal Judicial Center), cleaned by Tertius · model tertius-acta-3. Durations are filing to termination for U.S. federal civil cases. This is observed historical data, not a prediction of any specific case, and not legal advice. Tertius forecasts timing and disposition, never merits or damages.