Appeals Attorney Serving Ohio

What happens when you have your day in court, but the outcome isn’t just? It happens; trial courts sometimes make errors that can affect the outcome of a trial. If the trial court made a mistake of law or incorrectly applied a legal standard in your trial, you may need to appeal your case.

Appeals are highly technical, with strict procedural rules and short deadlines. If you believe a legal mistake affected the outcome of your case, speak with an Ohio appeals attorney to preserve your rights.

Appeals in Ohio State and Federal Courts

In Ohio, you have only 30 days from the final decision in your case to start an appeal by filing a Notice of Appeal with your trial court. An appeal is not a re-trial of your case, and the appellate court will not consider any new evidence. The appellate court will look at the record from the trial: the transcripts, any documents filed, and any exhibits.

The appellant and the other party (appellee) file briefs in the case explaining their legal positions, including any errors they believe took place, and legal support for their argument. Many appeals are decided on the basis of the briefs alone. In other cases, there’s an oral argument in front of a panel of judges.

The appellate court may reverse the trial court’s decision, affirm it, or modify it in some way. An appellate court may also remand (send back) the case to the trial court.

To succeed on appeal, you need an attorney who can not only craft a solid legal argument, but navigate the complex procedural requirements of the appellate process. Many appeals fail not because of a lack of merit, but because of a missed deadline or other procedural mistake.

Appeals attorney Wes Buchanan has over a decade of experience with both state and federal appeals. He knows what’s at stake for his clients when a trial court makes a legal error, and he fights to ensure justice is done.