How it works
How an appeal moves, from judgment to decision
An appeal takes months, often more than a year, and most of it happens on paper. Here is the order of it.
- 01
Step 1: A first call about the deadline
You give the date of the judgment and the court. Before anything else, Honora confirms how much time is left and what has to be filed to keep the appeal alive.
- 02
Step 2: A read of the record
She reads the judgment, the docket and the key transcripts, then writes you a short letter: the issues worth raising, the ones that aren’t, and a fee for each stage.
- 03
Step 3: Notice and transcripts
If you go ahead, the notice of appeal is filed on time and the full transcript is ordered. The court reporter’s work often sets the pace of the next months.
- 04
Step 4: The opening brief
The brief is the appeal. You see a draft, and can ask questions about it, before it’s filed.
- 05
Step 5: The reply, and argument if there is one
The other side answers and we reply. Some courts hear oral argument; others decide on the briefs alone.
- 06
Step 6: The decision, and what comes after
A written opinion: affirmed, reversed or sent back. Honora explains what it means and the options from there, including asking a higher court to review it.
What an appeal costs, and when you’ll know
Appeals here are priced by stage: the record review, the opening brief, the reply and argument. Each fee is written into the engagement letter before that stage starts, so the cost of the next step is never a surprise.
Transcripts and court filing fees are separate. They’re paid to the court reporter and the clerk, and the record review letter estimates them.
Start with the deadline
One call settles how much time is left. Everything else can follow from there.