Top 5 Reasons to Hire an Appellate Attorney

When you're involved in a lawsuit or a criminal case, your outcome in court may not always be fair or even correct. In many cases, you have the right to appeal a decision made by a lower court. But appealing a court decision is not a simple process -- you will need to hire an experienced appellate attorney to represent you. Some of the top reasons to hire an appellate attorney include:

Specialized Skills

An appellate attorney does not have the same experience and skills as a trial lawyer. When you plan to appeal a court ruling, you need an appellate attorney on your side because he or she will understand the appeal process and everything that it entails. Just like doctors have different specialties, so do attorneys, and an appellate attorney specializes in court appeals.

Understanding of Deadlines

There are strict deadlines for appeals in both state and federal court. Missing a deadline can derail your case and prohibit you from filing an appeal. Your appellate attorney will be well-versed in the deadlines involved in appeals and will ensure that all of your paperwork and documentation is filed on time so your appeal can proceed.

Deep Knowledge of Procedure

Appellate court involves a number of strict procedures that differ greatly from the procedures in lower courts. An appellate attorney has the training and expertise to ensure that all procedures are followed to the letters so no issues arise in your case due to technicalities. 

Ability to Analyze Lower Court Records

One of the most important things that an appellate attorney does is analyze court transcripts from the lower court in order to spot potential issues that can increase the chance of your appeal being successful. Since appellate attorneys specialize in appeal cases, they tend to be highly skilled in noticing potential issues that other types of lawyers may not immediately see. 

Ability to Be Persuasive

After an appellate attorney has built your case and gathered evidence from the trial transcripts of the lower court, he or she will know how to be persuasive in appeals court. Crafting a highly persuasive written brief is one of the keys to a successful appeal case. An experienced appellate attorney will also possess exemplary oral persuasion skills, which is essential since oral argument is often used in appeals court. Having an attorney who is experienced and highly skilled can make the difference between winning or losing an appeal. 

For more information about how an appellate attorney can help your repeal case, talk to a lawyer at Sauro & Bergstrom, PLLC.

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