ABA Family Legal Guide

How the Legal System Works

The Civil Trial: Step by Step

Procedures After Trial

Must an appellate court reach a unanimous decision?

No, only a majority must agree. If a judge or judges disagree with the majority's result, they may write a dissent to explain their disagreement. If a judge agrees with the result reached by the majority but disagrees with its reasoning, he or she may write a separate opinion concurring in the judgment.