If the plaintiff drops the lawsuit, do they have to pay for the defendants court costs and lawyer fees?

Most likely not.  Very rarely will the Plaintiff be liable for Defendant's attorney's fees and vice versa.  Usually the only time a party will be liable for the other's attorney's fees is if there is a statute that provides for such or the other party's conduct is so outrageous the court order's it, that almost never happens.  As for court costs.  If the Plaintiff dismisses they are liable for the costs to date, which will usually be covered by the initial filing fees.  If the case progresses and settles, it is usually one of the terms in the settlement that one party or another pays the costs or the costs are split.    For more information visit us at www.Sylkatis-Law.com and www.LorainDivorceAttorney.com