Rule 3-602.Judgments not disposing of entire action
District Court · Last amended January 1, 2004 · Last verified July 13, 2026
In one sentenceRule 3-602 explains when a ruling that resolves only part of a District Court case counts as a final judgment, and how a court can make a partial ruling final anyway.
(a)Generally. — Except as provided in section (b) of this Rule, an order or other form of decision, however designated, that adjudicates fewer than all of the claims in an action (whether raised by original claims, counterclaim, cross-claim, or third-party claim), or that adjudicates less than an entire claim, or that adjudicates the rights and liabilities of fewer than all the parties to the action:
(1)is not a final judgment;
(2)does not terminate the action as to any of the claims or any of the parties; and
(3)is subject to revision at any time before the entry of a judgment that adjudicates all of the claims by and against all of the parties.
(b)When allowed. — If the court expressly determines in a written order that there is no just reason for delay, it may direct in the order the entry of a final judgment as to one or more but fewer than all of the claims or parties.
Amendment History
Amended Mar. 30, 1993, effective July 1, 1993; Nov. 12, 2003, effective Jan. 1, 2004.
Committee Note & Source
Source. This Rule is derived from former M.D.R. 605 a and the 1987 version of Fed. R. Civ. P. 54 (b).
Plain-English Summary
Lawsuits often involve more than one claim or more than one party, and a court does not always decide everything at once. Rule 3-602 addresses what happens when an order resolves fewer than all the claims or fewer than all the parties in a case, or decides only part of a single claim. That kind of order is not a final judgment. It does not end the case as to any claim or any party, and it stays open to revision at any time before the court eventually enters a judgment covering every claim against every party.
There is a way around that default rule. If the court expressly finds, in a written order, that there is no just reason for delay, it can direct the entry of a final judgment on some claims or as to some parties even though other parts of the case remain pending. That written finding is what converts an otherwise interlocutory ruling into a judgment a party can rely on and, where applicable, appeal, while the rest of the litigation continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a ruling on one claim final if other claims are still pending?
No, not by default. An order that decides fewer than all the claims or fewer than all the parties is not a final judgment, does not end the case, and can still be revised before the court enters a judgment covering everything.
Can a court make a partial ruling final while the rest of the case continues?
Yes. The court must expressly determine, in a written order, that there is no just reason for delay. Only then may it direct entry of a final judgment on fewer than all the claims or parties.
What has to be in the court's order for a partial judgment to become final?
An express, written determination that there is no just reason for delay. Without that finding, the partial ruling remains subject to revision and is not a final judgment.
Source & verification. Rule text, Committee Note, Source note, and
amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Maryland Rules, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Maryland. Last verified July 13, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as:partial judgment Maryland district courtfinal judgment fewer than all claimsno just reason for delay Marylandinterlocutory order Maryland district courtwhen is an order appealable Maryland