An appeal is not a second trial. No new evidence is presented and no witnesses testify. Instead, the appellate court reviews the written record of what happened in the trial court, along with legal briefs from each side, to decide whether the trial judge made an error of law serious enough to change the outcome. That is why the trial transcript and the exact wording of the judgment matter so much, and why this questionnaire asks about the court reporter and post trial motions.

Deadlines control everything in appellate work. In most Alabama civil cases, including divorce and custody cases, the notice of appeal must be filed within 42 days of the final judgment. Certain post trial motions can pause that clock, but only if they were filed on time. Some juvenile appeals must be filed within 14 days. These deadlines are jurisdictional, which means that if they pass, no court can extend them. If your judgment is recent, contact us now, not later.

Appeals are handled by our family law and probate attorneys on a retainer basis rather than a flat fee, because the work involved varies with the size of the record and the issues raised. After we review your questionnaire and the judgment, we will give you an honest assessment of your issues, your deadline, and the retainer required before you commit to anything.

One more honest word: appellate courts affirm most judgments, so a good appeal is built on specific legal errors, not general unhappiness with the result. The clearer you can be about what the court got wrong, the faster we can tell you whether an appeal is worth pursuing.