Civil appeals
Civil appeals, for the side that lost and the side that won
Honora takes civil appeals for individuals, families and small businesses: as the appellant asking for a different result, or as the appellee defending a judgment already won.
Judgments after trial
A jury verdict or a ruling from the bench, reviewed for errors of law, rulings on evidence and instructions the jury should never have heard.
Summary judgment and dismissals
A case that ended before trial. The appellate court reads the same papers fresh, without deferring to the ruling below.
Defending a win
When the other side appeals, the brief that keeps your judgment in place matters as much as the trial did.
Family law orders
Custody, support and property rulings after a contested hearing, where the record allows an appeal.
Agency and zoning decisions
Review of a board or agency decision in court: licenses, permits, zoning variances and benefit denials.
Post-trial motions
Motions for a new trial or to change the judgment, filed before the appeal, that can keep an issue alive or sharpen it.
What an appellate court will and won’t do
It won’t hear new witnesses or weigh the evidence a second time. It reads the transcript, the exhibits and the briefs, and asks whether the trial court got the law right.
So the first job is a careful read of the record, and an honest answer about whether each issue was raised at trial in a way the appeal can use. Some strong arguments were never preserved; some quiet ones were.
Civil appeals, asked plainly
Can I appeal if the case settled?
Usually not. A settlement ends the case by agreement, and there’s nothing left for an appellate court to review. If the settlement itself was never finalized or is disputed, that’s a different question, and worth a call.
Do I have to pay the judgment while the appeal runs?
Not always. You can often ask the court to hold off collection while the appeal is pending, usually by posting a bond. Whether that’s worth it depends on the amount and the strength of the appeal.
Can we add new evidence on appeal?
No. The appeal is decided on the record made at trial. That’s why the first step is reading it closely, and why trial lawyers sometimes call before the verdict.
What does a civil appeal cost?
It depends on the length of the record and the number of issues. After the record review you get a written fee for each stage: the opening brief, the reply and any argument. Transcript and filing costs are separate.
Send the judgment for a first read
A first conversation covers the deadline and the likely issues. You’ll know the fee for a full record review before it starts.