806.01.Judgment.

Section 806.01(1)(a) defines a judgment as the determination of the action, which can be final or interlocutory. Whichever kind it is, Section 806.01(1)(b) requires it to specify the relief granted or other determination of the action, along with the name and place of residence of each party.

Section 806.01(1)(c) requires every final judgment to grant the relief to which the prevailing party is entitled, even if that party never demanded it in the pleadings, though if there is no answer, the relief to the plaintiff cannot exceed what the complaint demanded. If the dollar amount was left out of the demand for judgment as required under Section 802.02(1m), the court has to require the plaintiff to specify the amount claimed and give that information to the court and the other parties before rendering judgment.

Section 806.01(2) addresses cases with several parties: if a partial judgment is proper, the court can, in its discretion, render judgment against one or more defendants and dismiss or let the action continue against the others. And when a finding substantially disposes of a claim on the merits but leaves an accounting to be taken or a condition to be performed before the parties’ rights are fully determined, the court can render an interlocutory judgment disposing of the issues the finding covers while reserving final judgment.