13.03 Counterclaim exceeding opposing claim

If someone sues you, you can file your own claim back against them called a counterclaim. This rule says your counterclaim does not have to match or cancel out what the other person is asking for. It can ask for more money than they want, or it can ask for a completely different kind of help from the court.

In simple terms, you are not limited by the size or type of the original claim. For example, if someone sues you for $5,000, you could file a counterclaim asking for $50,000, or you could ask the court to make them do something instead of just paying money. Your counterclaim stands on its own and gets judged on its own facts, even if it looks very different from the claim that started the case.