Terms Used In Wisconsin Statutes 803.02

  • Counterclaim: A claim that a defendant makes against a plaintiff.
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Heretofore: means any time previous to the day on which the statute containing it takes effect; "hereafter" means the time after the statute containing such word takes effect. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • State: when applied to states of the United States, includes the District of Columbia, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the several territories organized by Congress. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
   (1)    A party asserting a claim to relief as an original claim, counterclaim, cross claim, or 3rd-party claim, may join, either as independent or as alternate claims, as many claims, legal or equitable, as the party has against an opposing party.
   (2)   Whenever a claim is one heretofore cognizable only after another claim has been prosecuted to a conclusion, the 2 claims may be joined in a single action; but the court shall grant relief in that action only in accordance with the relative substantive rights of the parties. In particular, a plaintiff may state a claim for money and a claim to have set aside a conveyance fraudulent as to the plaintiff, without first having obtained a judgment establishing the claim for money.