Court & Hearings

The following information is about civil appeals. For information about criminal appeals see Starting a case to appeal a criminal conviction.

If you lose a case in the circuit court, you can appeal the case to the appellate court. The appellate court will then review the case and decide whether the circuit court made a mistake. The appellate court will not give you a new trial. When the issues of a case are heard in court and decided by a judge or jury You cannot present any witnesses or new evidence. Anything used to show that something is true The appellate court will only look at what happened in the original trial.

The party A person or business involved in a court case in a role like plaintiff, petitioner, defendant, respondent, or intervenor. who is appealing a court’s decision is called the “appellant.” Someone who wants to change a previous court decision The party who is responding to the appeal is called the “appellee.”

The civil appeals process is difficult. It involves many strict deadlines. You must follow the Illinois Supreme Court Rules. 

Learn more about the steps to start the process to appeal a circuit court decision. 

See a list of forms you’ll need throughout your appeal and where to find them. Explore additional resources available for civil appeals.

Find answers to common questions about civil appeals here or by selecting a question below.