Whenever a party to a lawsuit wants the court to do something specific, he typically needs to make a formal written request to the court, which is called a motion. A motion to withdraw is asking the court to make a formal order allowing a party to withdraw, or take back, something. The motion usually includes supporting documents, such as a citation to the rule or law that authorizes the making of the motion, various affidavits, exhibits, and a written statement or brief explaining the reasons for the motion and why it should be granted. If the court requires a hearing on the motion to withdraw, both parties will usually submit oral arguments regarding the motion. After considering the arguments, the court issues a ruling, and one of the attorneys typically prepares an order that provides documentation of the court's decision.

A motion to withdraw may be filed in a variety of legal circumstances. When an attorney wishes to have no further involvement in a legal matter, such as a case in which a conflict of interest has arisen, he may file a motion to withdraw appearance. If a court-appointed attorney has reason to believe that a case is frivolous and without merit, he may motion the court for permission to withdraw appearance, but if the court finds that his petition is without merit, the attorney may be ordered to proceed with the case.

Another motion to terminate an existing attorney-client relationship is a motion to withdraw representation. This motion might be filed by an attorney if he and the client he represents do not agree regarding legal strategy, or simply because of ineffective communication. If the client does not agree with the motion, the court typically provides him with an opportunity to explain why his attorney should remain on the case. Favorable rulings on motions to withdraw representation are often challenging because the attorney must be careful to provide sufficient information to the court to satisfy the motion without breaching client confidentiality rules.

In criminal cases, a defendant may plead guilty to a crime in exchange for something that will help him, such as being charged with a lesser offense or the promise of a lighter sentence. Sometimes, however, a defendant will receive the court's permission to use a conditional plea, which reserves his right to appeal certain issues before his plea is entered. If a defendant is allowed to use a conditional plea, he may make a motion to withdraw his guilty or no contest plea and instead go to trial. If the defendant loses the appeal, the guilty plea typically is enforced.

In bankruptcy actions, the party filing bankruptcy may have the opportunity to have a jury trial rather than have the matter decided by a bankruptcy judge. This is usually done by filing a motion to withdraw reference, which requests that the matter be transferred from bankruptcy court to a court where it will be tried in front of a jury. As with other motions to withdraw, cause typically must be shown regarding why the matter should be transferred.

Motions to withdraw often are used in lawsuit cases as well. If the plaintiff, or party that initiated a lawsuit, changes his mind about going forward with the case, he may file a motion to withdraw the complaint. If the court is satisfied that good cause has been shown to withdraw the complaint, a favorable ruling normally is issued.