Except as provided in Article 1703, a final judgment shall grant the relief to which the party in whose favor it is rendered is entitled, even if the party has not demanded such relief in his pleadings and the latter contain no prayer for general and equitable relief.
Art. 862.Relief Granted Under Pleadings; Sufficiency of Prayer
Book II. Ordinary Proceedings · Title I. Pleading · Chapter 1. General Dispositions · Amendment history unavailable · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 862 requires a final judgment to grant the relief the prevailing party is entitled to, even if that relief was not specifically demanded in the pleadings and there is no prayer for general and equitable relief, except in default judgments governed by Article 1703.
Full Text of Art. 862
Plain-English Summary
Louisiana does not strictly confine a court to the exact words of the prayer for relief. If the facts pled and proven show that a party deserves some form of relief, Article 862 lets the judgment grant it, even without a matching specific request and even without a catch-all prayer for general and equitable relief.
That is a notably flexible approach. A plaintiff who correctly proves the underlying facts is not punished for guessing wrong on the precise legal label for what they are owed, so long as the relief granted fits what was pled and proven at trial.
The flexibility has one clear boundary: Article 1703 caps what a court can award in a default judgment to what was demanded, because a defaulting defendant never appeared to contest anything beyond what the petition asked for. That carve-out keeps Article 862's generosity from working against a defendant who was not there to respond.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Louisiana court award relief I did not specifically ask for?
Yes. Article 862 lets a final judgment grant the relief a party is entitled to even without a matching demand in the pleadings, outside of default judgments.
Do I need a 'prayer for general and equitable relief' in my petition?
Not strictly. Article 862 grants relief the party is entitled to even when the pleadings contain no such catch-all prayer.
Does Article 862 apply to default judgments?
No. Default judgments are governed by Article 1703, which limits the relief awarded to what was demanded in the petition.
Why does Louisiana allow judgments to exceed what was specifically demanded?
Because the underlying facts, not the precise wording of the prayer, are what entitle a party to relief, so long as the case was contested and the defendant had a fair chance to respond.
Source & verification. Article text is reproduced verbatim from
the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure (legis.la.gov). Enacted by the Louisiana Legislature.
Last verified July 30, 2026.
· Official source
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