(A) Relief Available. Except as provided in subrule (B), every final judgment may grant the relief to which the party in whose favor it is rendered is entitled, even if the party has not demanded that relief in his or her pleadings.
Rule 2.601.Judgments
Current through May 1, 2026 · Last verified July 6, 2026
In one sentenceRule 2.601 lets a Michigan court grant the relief a prevailing party is entitled to in a final judgment even if that party never demanded it in the pleadings, with one key exception: a default judgment can never exceed, or differ in kind from, the relief the pleadings demanded unless the defaulted party was given notice of a bigger claim.
Full Text of Rule 2.601
Amendment History
Michigan tracks the orders that adopt and amend its Court Rules in a separate administrative record rather than printing a history note beneath each rule in the compiled rules text reproduced here. The text above is verified current through the source’s own May 1, 2026 update; for the full order-by-order history of this rule, see the Michigan Supreme Court’s rules and orders page.
Plain-English Summary
A final judgment isn't limited to whatever relief the winning party happened to ask for in its pleadings. Except for a default judgment, the court can grant whatever relief that party is entitled to on the merits, even if the pleadings never mentioned it specifically. Default judgments work differently, precisely because the other side never showed up to contest anything: a judgment by default can't award relief different in kind from, or greater in amount than, what the pleadings demanded, unless the defaulted party received the notice Rule 2.603(B)(1) requires when a bigger or different claim is on the table.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get relief I never specifically asked for in my complaint?
Generally yes, in an ordinary final judgment; the court can grant whatever relief you're entitled to even if it wasn't specifically demanded in your pleadings.
Does that same flexibility apply to a default judgment?
No. A default judgment can't be different in kind from, or exceed in amount, what the pleadings demanded, unless the defaulted party got notice under Rule 2.603(B)(1) that a different or larger claim was being pursued.
Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Michigan Court Rules (MCR 2.601). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Michigan (Mich. Const. 1963, art. VI, § 5). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 6, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: relief available in final judgment Michigandefault judgment relief limits