Civil and Family Law Appeals
When a trial court got the law wrong in a case that was never about a crime.
Civil deadlines are shorter than most people expect
In most Texas civil cases the notice of appeal is due 30 days after the judgment is signed. That extends to 90 days only if a motion for new trial, a motion to modify the judgment, a motion to reinstate, or a request for findings of fact and conclusions of law is filed on time — a late post-judgment motion does not extend anything. Some appeals are accelerated and run on a 20-day clock. The date that matters is the date the judgment was signed, not the date you were told. If a judgment has been signed in your case, call and confirm your deadline: (469) 828-9017
A civil appeal asks a narrow question: did the trial court make a legal error serious enough that the judgment cannot stand? It is not an opportunity to retry the facts, and it is not a forum for what the case felt like. It is an argument about law, made in writing, to judges who were not in the room.
That is a genuinely different discipline from trial work — and it is the only work this firm does.
What we handle
• Family law appeals — including custody, property division and modification orders
• Appeals of protective orders — civil in form, though they are often lived through like criminal cases and carry consequences that follow a person for years
• Most other civil appeals, in the Texas courts of appeals
We do not take landlord-tenant matters originating in justice court.
If you are still deciding
Bring us the judgment and tell us what the court decided. We can tell you what your deadline is and whether there is an issue that an appellate court is in a position to do something about. Not every unfair outcome is an appealable error — and knowing the difference early is worth more to you than optimism.
Tell us the court, the date the judgment was signed, and what was decided.
The first call is free — a conversation to find out whether we are the right firm for your case, and whether yours is a case we can help with. Someone answers between 8:30 and 6:00 — Lauren, Niles or Grace.
We work either hourly or on a flat fee, and we will tell you which one fits your case on that first call.
If it is easier to write than to talk, email help@appealstx.com. Emailing us does not create an attorney-client relationship, so please do not send confidential details until we have agreed to represent you.
Niles Illich holds a Ph.D. and a J.D. and is board certified in criminal appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He has practiced appeals exclusively for fifteen years, in both criminal and civil matters. Grace Shin spent twenty years in appellate practice with the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office.