No, but a handbook has been made available by the Florida Bar. Click here to view this handbook.

• A party or defendant in a case has 30 days from the date the decision is rendered by the lower court to file a Notice of Appeal.
• The Notice of Appeal should be in the form prescribed by Rule 9.900, Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure, and should contain the following information:
• the name of the lower court
• the name and designation of at least one party on each side
• the case number in the lower court
• the name of the court to which the appeal is taken
• the date of rendition of the order in the lower court
• the nature of the order to be reviewed.
• The original Notice and one copy should be filed with the clerk's Office in the division where the court rendered the order/judgment you wish to appeal, i.e., in the Felony Division if you are appealing a felony conviction.
• An information sheet for filing county court appeals in the Second Judicial Circuit, Leon County, is located here.

Click here to view fees.

After the appropriate paperwork is filed timely (and sometimes after oral argument), the appellate court will review the decision of the lower court to determine if an error occurred during the case. The appellate court will render a decision and issue a mandate to return the jurisdiction to the lower/originating court.

If you wish to represent yourself, you will need to do your own legal research and paperwork preparation. You may find the following links helpful:

• The Appellate Decision Making Process
• Ten Signs That You Need an Appellate Lawyer
• Appellate Specialization and the Art of Appellate Advocacy
• Five Easy Pieces: Advice for Getting Your Case to the Appellate Court (and Back Again) Intact
• Top 10 Appellate Mistakes (Or Why You Need an Appellate Specialist)

If you wish to consult with an attorney about filing an appeal in Tallahassee, you may contact:

• Tallahassee Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service
• Florida Bar Lawyer Referral Service

• Florida's rules of court designate the types of appeals that are permitted.
• Appeals from county court cases, like misdemeanors, county civil and traffic infraction cases, can be appealed to the First District Court of Appeal.
• Circuit Court cases, like felonies, circuit civil, probate, and juvenile cases, may be appealed to the District Court of Appeal or Florida Supreme Court.
• Death penalty cases are appealed directly from the Circuit Court to the Florida Supreme Court by law.

• First District Court of Appeal
• Florida Supreme Court