It is also used in pleading, as the statement of the plaintiff's money loss or damages claimed.
[1][2] An ad damnum clause is also sometimes called a "prayer for relief.
"[2] Several U.S. states prohibit plaintiffs from demanding a specific amount of money in the ad damnum section of a complaint initiating a civil action for personal injury or wrongful death.
[2] This is to prevent unethical attorneys from gaining undue publicity for their cases (and trampling upon defendants' right to a fair trial) by demanding outrageous amounts that they cannot possibly prove at trial.
"[citation needed] Of course, at some point the defendant needs to get some idea of what amount of money the plaintiff actually wants, so the defendant can usually serve interrogatories directed to that issue or a formal request for a statement of damages as part of the discovery process.