Contract
Summary judgment
Granted in its entirety on two hunting leases; the defendant's exhibits stricken. On appeal. Read the order
2026
Home · Practice areas · Civil appeals
An appeal is won on the record you already made.
Whether you won in the trial court and need to hold the judgment, or lost and need to change it, an appeal is decided on the record and on deadlines that do not bend. We handle civil appeals in the Texas courts of appeals, including the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas, which hears appeals from Dallas and Collin Counties, and the Third Court of Appeals in Austin, which hears appeals from Williamson and Travis Counties.
What we handle
- Notices of appeal and the deadlines that govern them
- Restricted appeals from default judgments
- Superseding a judgment, or opposing a stay
- Motions for new trial and to modify the judgment
- Defending a judgment on appeal
- Mandamus in the courts of appeals
How we approach it
The deadline comes first. A notice of appeal is generally due thirty days after the judgment is signed, ninety days if a timely motion for new trial or certain other post-judgment motions are filed, and twenty days in an accelerated appeal. A party who did not participate in the hearing that produced the judgment may be able to bring a restricted appeal within six months. See restricted appeals.
An appeal does not by itself stop collection. A judgment debtor who wants to stop enforcement while the appeal is pending must supersede the judgment, and Texas law caps the security for a money judgment. See superseding a judgment.
In Johnson Farst v. Carnes, summary judgment for our clients is now on appeal in the Thirteenth Court of Appeals, where we are defending the judgment.
The court’s rules on AI
Texas state courts. No statewide rule on AI is in force. In June 2026 the Supreme Court of Texas preliminarily approved a new Rule 13 under which signing a filing certifies that the signer verified it, including that its citations, quotations and holdings are not fabricated; no final order had issued. The Business Court’s Local Rule 10(c) permits AI but makes the filer independently responsible for every filing. The courts of appeals have no AI rules but sanction fabricated authority under their inherent power, as the Dallas court did in 2025, and Ethics Opinion 705 advises verifying every output, protecting confidences and supervising its use.
Checked against each court’s own rules and orders on 5 November 2026 for John Henry’s talk “AI in Modern Litigation” at the Eastern District of Texas Bankruptcy Bench Bar Conference. Rules change; the full reference, with every order cited, is on the AI in litigation page.
Related results
Builder defense
Summary judgment
Homeowners' evidence stricken, every claim dismissed with prejudice, judgment on our client's counterclaim, and a receiver appointed. Read the order
2026
Past results depend on the facts of each case and do not predict a similar outcome. Confidential matters are described without their terms.
Questions people ask
How long do I have to appeal a Texas judgment?
Generally thirty days after the judgment is signed, extended to ninety days by a timely motion for new trial and certain other post-judgment motions. Accelerated appeals, such as appeals from many interlocutory orders, are due in twenty days.
I never knew about the lawsuit and a default judgment was entered. Can I appeal?
Possibly, by restricted appeal within six months of the judgment, if you did not participate in the hearing that produced it, did not timely file post-judgment motions, and the error appears on the face of the record.
Does an appeal stop the other side from collecting?
Not by itself. The judgment must be superseded, usually by bond or deposit, to stop enforcement while the appeal is pending.
Which court hears my appeal?
Appeals from Dallas and Collin Counties go to the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas; appeals from Williamson and Travis Counties go to the Third Court of Appeals in Austin. Appeals from the Texas Business Court, and most appeals involving the State, go to the Fifteenth Court of Appeals.