Seeking Reversal or Retention of Family Law Decisions
When a family law case goes to trial, the trial court — with or without the involvement of a jury — has a responsibility to discern the relevant facts and then arrive at a decision by applying settled legal standards to those facts. Where discretion is involved, there are always limits to that discretion.
When a trial judge makes the wrong decision, the party who is harmed can seek correction of this mistake through the appeals process. At Connolly & Shireman in Houston, we frequently practice appellate family law, an area of law with unique standards and procedures. If you are looking to appeal a family law decision, or need to defend such a decision against the other party's appeal, don't hesitate to contact us.
Navigating the Complex Appeals Process
It is difficult to win reversal of any court decision on appeal, but it can become nearly impossible if your attorney is not familiar with the strict and intricate procedural requirements of the appeals process.
In some cases, such as Child Protective Services (CPS) cases, parties have 15 days to perfect appeals after the final judgment. A procedural misstep can put a stop to your appeal before you have had an opportunity to present any arguments.
Our attorneys regularly represent clients on appeal. We seek reversal or affirmance of trial court judgments for our clients. Most of the firm appellate clients were originally represented by other lawyers in the trial court..
Our family law appeals practice includes property division, child custody, conservatorship and termination, and all other types of Texas family law cases. We also handle appeals in juvenile cases.
Keeping an Eye on Appellate Options During Trial
It is also important for a family law attorney at the trial stage to consider the possibility that the case will go up on appeal. Appellate cases are based on the record of what happened at trial, so it is important for trial attorneys to take steps to preserve that record.
When one of our cases goes to trial, the possibility that our client or another party will appeal is always in the back of our minds, and we always pay close attention to our statements and actions from the perspective of how they will appear in the record after the fact.
Contact us to get lawyers working on your case who are highly experienced with both trials and appeals.
