Rule 55.05.Pleading Setting Forth Claims for Relief Shall Contain What.

Any pleading asserting a claim for relief — an original claim, a counterclaim, a cross-claim, or a third-party claim — needs two things: a short and plain statement of facts showing the pleader is entitled to relief, and a demand for the judgment sought. The rule also allows relief in the alternative or of different types within the same claim.

An initial pleading filed in a circuit court’s family court division carries an extra requirement: a certificate stating whether any other case involving a party or that party’s child has been filed in the family court division, identifying those cases by style and number if known. That helps the court coordinate related family matters instead of letting them proceed on separate, disconnected tracks.

For tort damages, the rule takes a distinctive approach. The petition can’t include a specific dollar amount in its damages demand — except to establish which court has jurisdiction over the case — and instead must ask for damages that are fair and reasonable. That restriction on the pleading doesn’t carry over to trial: a party can still argue for a specific dollar figure when presenting the case to the jury, even though the petition itself stayed silent on the number.