Indiana Family Law Appeals FAQ
What does it cost to file an appeal?
Other than attorney fees, you will need to pay the filing fee with the Court of Appeals and pay the court reporter for preparing the transcript of the hearing. Transcripts cost money. Currently (December 24, 2007), the filing fee is $250.00.I charge, generally, $5,000.00 for appeals where the issue is custody, and $4,000.00 where the is child support or parenting time (visitation) or division of property. For a more accurate fee quote, give me a call at 765-641-7906.
What is an appeal?
When can I file an appeal?
For another article on this subject, see Types Of Appeals.
- Trials. An appellate court is not a place for a trial.
- Appellate courts do not hear any evidence. The facts are taken as being what is in the transcript from the trial court.
What do I get if I win my appeal?
Generally, the Court of Appeals will send the case back to the trial court for another hearing. The Court of Appeals decision tells the trial judge to correct the errors from the original case. Appellate Rule 66 gives the full range of relief available on appeal.What to remember most about appeals?
Timing is everything. Miss a deadline and the appeal ends.
If timing is everything, how much time do I have to decide about appealing my case?
You must file your Notice of Appeal within 30 days from the entry of a final order. That means you need to move quickly.
What does the lawyer do in an appeal?
First, you do not need a lawyer to handle an appeal. The Indiana Supreme Court has the Pro Se Guide to Appellate Procedure. While the guide is quite good, I suggest anyone wanting to do an appeal on their own to read Indiana's Appellate Rules.
If you do hire an attorney, they will make sure that everything is filed on time, write the Brief containing the legal arguments, and appear at any oral arguments. The appeal centers around getting the Brief written and filed with the court. Time will be spent researching the case law and reading the trial transcript and then writing arguments supporting your opinion that the trial court incorrectly applied the law.
Do I need to get a local attorney to handle the appeal?
Not necessarily. All appeals go to the Court of Appeals in Indiana. I had someone once get the idea that they needed an Indianapolis attorney when appealing an Indianapolis case. Where the case comes from plays no part in the substance of an appeal. I take appellate cases from around the state.
How long does the appeal take?
The Notice of Appeal needs filed 30 days after the date of judgment, the court reporter has 90 days after that to get the record prepared, and after the reporter finished its job begins the briefing period. Appellant gets 30 days to file its brief, Appellee gets 30 days after that, and then Appellant gets 15 days for a reply brief. I count that as 195 days.
Here is what the Court of Appeals says about how long an appeal will take:
It usually takes at least six months for all briefs to be filed and the full review process to take place. There is no time limit for Court of Appeals judges to issue a decision in a case, but the Court strives to be timely.