In movies and TV shows, the trial is the end of the story for most criminal and civil cases. A jury or judge hands down a decision and that’s it. But in real life, a case is far from over after the trial.

If you’ve gone through a trial and disagree with the final verdict, you may be able to appeal.

An appeal is a request for a higher court to review the lower court’s decision in your case. An appeal is not another trial — rather the higher court reviews the case record created in the original trial.

You can’t add anything new to it or remove anything from it. Your appeals lawyer attempts to show that the original court made errors in your case that led to an incorrect judgment. It takes a skilled appeals lawyer to research and write appeals that can convince higher courts to overturn a decision.

At Dozier Miller, we offer our appeals clients a unique advantage. Several of our lawyers have experience working within North Carolina’s courts as clerks and judges. We can use this unique insight to help direct our approach to your appeal, giving it the best possible chance at success.