Florida Appellate Lawyer

Not every case ends with the verdict. A trial court can get the law wrong — and when it does, the appeal is a new fight with different rules, decided on the written record and the briefs rather than witnesses and juries. Ave Maria Law Center handles civil appeals across Florida for plaintiffs and policyholders. The firm’s trial lawyers are former Florida Assistant Attorney Generals who defended and challenged judgments in Florida’s appellate courts for the State. If a court got your case wrong — or the other side is appealing a judgment you won — the first conversation is free.

Appeals we handle in Florida

• Appealing an adverse judgment — when the trial court misapplied the law, excluded evidence it should have admitted, or entered judgment against you despite the record.
• Defending a judgment you won — answering the other side’s appeal so a hard-won verdict is not taken away on paper.
• Civil appeals across our practice areas — personal injury, employment, civil rights, and insurance disputes.
• Post-trial and post-judgment motions — the motions that preserve issues and can correct errors before an appeal is even necessary.
• Referrals and co-counsel — trial attorneys who need appellate support for briefing or argument in their own cases.

How an appeal is different from a trial

An appeal is not a second trial, and treating it like one loses it.

• It is decided on the record. The appellate court reviews what happened below — the transcripts, exhibits, and rulings. No new evidence, no new witnesses. That is why errors must be preserved at trial, and why we try cases with the appeal already in mind.
• The standard of review often decides the case. Some rulings are reviewed fresh; others are nearly untouchable on appeal. Picking the issues where the standard favors you — and abandoning the ones where it does not — is the core of appellate judgment.
• The deadline is unforgiving. The time to file a notice of appeal is generally short — often 30 days — and missing it usually ends the right to appeal entirely. If you are considering an appeal, the time to call is now, not after you have thought it over for a month.
• It is won in the briefs. Appellate judges decide most cases on the written argument. Clear, honest, well-researched briefing — not volume — is what moves a court.

Why Ave Maria Law Center

• Former Florida Assistant Attorney Generals. Both of the firm’s attorneys litigated for the State — experience that included appellate work in Florida’s courts.
• Trial lawyers who handle appeals. We know how a record gets made, because we make them — and that is where appeals are won or lost.
• Plaintiff-side only. We represent people and policyholders, never institutions against them.
• We take the hard cases. Appeals other firms turn down because the fight is uphill.
• State and federal appellate courts, statewide. Florida’s District Courts of Appeal, the Florida Supreme Court where review is available, and the federal courts of appeals.

Serving appellate clients across Florida

Appeals are briefed on the record, so we handle them for clients anywhere in Florida from our Collier County office — whatever county the trial happened in. For our trial-level work, see our personal injury, civil rights, and employment practices, or the full list on Areas We Serve.

Florida appeals FAQ

I lost at trial. Can I appeal?

Losing alone is not enough — an appeal must point to a legal error that mattered to the outcome: law misapplied, evidence wrongly admitted or excluded, a verdict the record cannot support. We review the record candidly and tell you whether an appeal has a real basis, because filing a doomed appeal helps no one.

How long do I have to appeal?

Generally very little time — often 30 days from the judgment or order, and the deadline is typically jurisdictional, meaning no court can extend it once it passes. Call promptly so the deadline is calculated for your specific case.

Can I introduce new evidence on appeal?

No. The appellate court decides the case on the record made in the trial court. That is why the trial matters so much to the appeal — and why we prepare every trial as if the appellate court will read every page.

I’m a trial attorney. Do you take appellate referrals?

Yes. We handle appeals and appellate briefing as referral or co-counsel for other attorneys’ cases, and we respect the referring lawyer’s client relationship.

What does it cost?

The first conversation is free, and the fee arrangement is explained to you in writing before you decide anything. Appeals are scoped matters — we can usually tell you what the engagement looks like after reviewing the judgment and key rulings.

Talk to a Florida appellate lawyer

Free, confidential consultation, anywhere in Florida. Appeal deadlines are short and unforgiving — if a court got your case wrong, call Ave Maria Law Center now at 1-855-RAY-CHRIS (855-729-2474).

Raymond Christopher, Attorney, is responsible for this advertisement. Ave Maria Law Center, 5706 Mayflower Way, Unit 207, Ave Maria, FL 34142.