ABA Family Legal Guide

How the Legal System Works

The Civil Trial: Step by Step

Procedures After Trial

How does a party appeal?

The losing party (or a prevailing party contending that the damages were insufficient) may ask for review of the trial court's decision in an appellate court. In the federal system, the party must appeal to the court of appeals in the appropriate circuit.

In those states that have two levels of appellate courts, parties challenging trial court decisions generally must bring their appeals to the intermediate court first. However, because intermediate appellate courts often have some limited discretion to determine which civil cases they will hear, not all civil appeals will necessarily be accepted, in which case the lower court's verdict will stand.