What is the deadline for a U.S. federal court to rule on a motion to dismiss? 16 Answers as of October 20, 2011

Once a judge takes a matter under advisement he normally takes his own sweet time. I am not aware of any rule to the contrary. I waited a year once.

I've waited quite a bit for rulings on matters myself, and to my knowledge there is no deadline in any court, state or federal.

You are a member of a very large club. I've got one I've been waiting on for seven months. Before he was elevated to the Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas once took nine months to render a decision. Not telling how long it will take.

The Court works as fast as the Court works.

Courts generally do not have a deadline to decide a case. Courts do not want cases to linger any longer than the parties desire their cases to linger. Your particular case would need to be evaluated by an attorney, looking at all of the procedural posturing from both parties, to determine what you can expect going forward with your case. It is commendable that you are seeking to resolve this matter in a pro se status, but you should also consider the importance of your case in deciding when hiring an attorney would be in your best interest. Courts generally give some leniency toward pro se parties, but the court cannot overlook procedural errors that cause a case to become ripe for summary judgment or dismissal. Contact an attorney if you believe you need assistance. Even attorneys seek assistance from other attorneys when preparing for and during trial.

Although judge's have great discretion in how they run their courts, they usually rule on motions in a fairly prompt manner.

You are missing something. When a Motion is filed, it is spindled for a date. At that time, the Court will usually assign a briefing schedule and a date for Argument. If you are unclear, call the Clerk and ask the status or look up the case on Pacer. If this involves something that is important to you, I strongly suggest you hire counsel. It seems you are in over your head.

Unfortunately, there is no deadline for the judge to make his decision.

There is no deadline that I know of. Moving for the court to decide is not a good idea. If you hava good case, you might want to consider hiring a lawyer.

Nothing to stop the court from waiting until mid way through the trial before deciding on a disposative motion.