Appeals and Appellate Law

St. Johns Law Group represents clients in civil, administrative, and real estate appeals throughout St. Augustine, Northeast Florida, and across the state. Our appellate attorneys have the experience, legal research skills, and written advocacy needed to challenge or defend judgments in Florida’s appellate courts.

Appeals require a different skill set than trial litigation. Our firm focuses on preserving legal arguments, identifying errors of law, and crafting compelling appellate briefs that comply with Florida’s strict procedural rules.

Appellate Experience

As St. Augustine’s largest law firm, our team of over 10 attorneys and mediators includes seasoned appellate lawyers who have successfully argued cases before Florida’s District Courts of Appeal, Circuit Courts, and federal courts.

• In 2024 alone, our attorneys handled multiple active appeals for both appellants and appellees.

• One of our attorneys has handled more than 50 appellate matters throughout their career.

• Attorney Alex Nunchuck has personally filed and argued over 20 appellate cases.

Skilled Legal Brief Writers

Appeals are often won on the strength of legal writing. Our appellate team includes lawyers with academic honors in legal writing and extensive experience drafting:

• Initial & Answer Briefs

• Reply Briefs

• Petitions for Writ of Certiorari & Mandamus

• Motions for Attorneys’ Fees

• Records on Appeal & Appendices

We take pride in submitting thorough, persuasive, and well-researched briefs that meet the high standards of Florida’s appellate courts.

Appeals We Handle

Civil & Trial Court Appeals

• Final Judgment & Interlocutory Appeals

• County and Circuit Court Appeals

• Discovery Order Appeals

• Summary Judgment Appeals

• Breach of Contract & Business Disputes

• Landlord/Tenant Disputes

Family Law Appeals

• Divorce, Custody & Support Judgments

• Alimony & Property Division

• Timesharing & Parenting Plan Disputes

Administrative & Land Use Appeals

• Zoning and Planning Board Decisions (PZA/PZB)

• City & County Commission Appeals

• Special Use Permits, Variances, and Rezonings

Extraordinary Writs

• Petitions for Writ of Certiorari (quasi-judicial & interlocutory review)

• Petitions for Writ of Mandamus

• Writs of Prohibition & Habeas Corpus (as applicable)

Attorneys’ Fees on Appeal

Our appellate attorneys understand the importance of preserving and pursuing attorneys’ fees. We have successfully recovered fees at both the trial and appellate levels, ensuring clients are fully compensated when permitted by contract or statute.

Representative Appellate Cases

Civil Litigation

• Mishpaja Shajine, Inc. v. Granada Ins. Co., 319 So. 3d 762 (Fla. 3d DCA 2021)
  → Reversed trial court’s summary judgment; allowed amendment of answer.

• Patel v. Sparrow, 325 So. 3d 865 (Fla. 5th DCA 2021)
  → Defended breach of contract judgment; recovered attorneys’ fees at trial and on appeal.

Landlord/Tenant Law

• Poky Mgmt., LLC v. Solution Investment Group, LLC, Case No. 5D2023-0169 (Fla. 5th DCA 2024)
  → Secured legal fees for landlord after trial court denial.

Discovery Appeals

• Dimattia v. Fairways Condo. at Palm Coast, Flagler County Circuit Court (2021)
  → Successfully compelled discovery on behalf of a condominium association.

Employment & Theft

• Holder v. Ausit St. Augustine, LLC, 300 So. 3d 664 (Fla. 5th DCA 2020)
  → Defended treble damage award in employee theft case.

HOA & Condo Association

• Walters v. Ocean Gate Phase I Condo, 925 So. 2d 440 (Fla. 5th DCA 2006)
  → Defended judgment against challenge by former unit owner.

Probate

• Heyman v. Heyman, Case No. 5D2022-1133 (Fla. 5th DCA 2024)
  → Preserved estate assets in a contested probate dispute.

Family Law

• Powers v. Powers, 323 So. 3d 738 (Fla. 5th DCA 2021)
  → Upheld final judgment awarding alimony, child support, and fees.

• Cooper v. Cooper, 318 So. 3d 1291 (Fla. 5th DCA 2021)
  → Affirmed deviation from standard timesharing guidelines based on best interests of the child.

Federal Court Matters

• St. Augustine v. Boomerang, LLC, 2020 WL 3790588 (M.D. Fla. 2020)
  → Prevented removal to federal court, preserving local jurisdiction.

• Clarke v. Henslin, 2020 WL 1049171 (M.D. Fla. 2020)
  → Successfully resolved FLSA claim through negotiation.

• Ward Edwards, Inc. v. Devlin Grp., Inc., 2019 WL 5962674 (M.D. Fla. 2019)
  → Defeated motion to implead non-party in supplementary proceedings.

Bid Awards & Procurement

• Sebastian Inland Harbor Dev., LLC v. City of St. Augustine, 905 So. 2d 899 (Fla. 5th DCA 2005)
  → Defended city’s competitive RFP process in harbor development project.

Zoning & Land Use Appeals

We have represented dozens of clients in land use and zoning appeals, including:

• Rezonings

• Special Use Permits

• Variances

• Comprehensive Plan Challenges

• Development Orders

Need to appeal a decision from the Planning and Zoning Board or City Commission? We handle administrative appeals to circuit court and judicial reviews of quasi-judicial actions.

Fun Fact: Attorneys Douglas Burnett and James Whitehouse were once on opposite sides of a notable zoning appeal—Harry Waldron v. St. Johns County—before joining forces at our firm.

Why Choose St. Johns Law Group?

• Proven appellate experience across multiple practice areas

• Former judicial law clerks and litigation-focused attorneys

• Detail-oriented brief writing and legal analysis

• Full-service law firm with resources to support complex appeals

• Local insight into Northeast Florida courts and agencies

Our team is well-equipped to evaluate whether an appeal is appropriate and advise clients on timing, costs, and potential outcomes.

Serving All of Northeast Florida

St. Johns Law Group serves clients across Northeast Florida and Southern Georgia, including:

• St. Johns County: St. Augustine, St. Augustine Beach, Anastasia Island, Crescent Beach, Ponte Vedra, Nocatee, Vilano Beach, Julington Creek, Fruit Cove, World Golf Village, Palm Valley, Hastings, Elkton, Silverleaf, Beachwalk.

• Flagler County: Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Bunnell, Marineland.

• Duval County: Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, San Marco, Mandarin, Southside.

• Clay County: Green Cove Springs, Fleming Island, Middleburg, Keystone Heights, Oakleaf Plantation.

• Putnam County: Palatka, East Palatka, Interlachen, Crescent City, Welaka.

• Southern Georgia (select matters): St. Marys, Kingsland, Woodbine.

Our attorneys are well-versed in the local rules, state rules and court requirements throughout the region and provide effective, location-specific legal counsel in appeals and appellate matters.

📞 Schedule a Consultation Today

Speak with a dedicated appellate attorney at St. Johns Law Group. We offer consultations in person, by phone, or via Zoom/Teams, and provide honest insight into your appeal’s strength and viability.

St. Johns Law Group – Trusted Legal Advocates in Trial and Appeal.

Call (904) 495-0400 or request a consultation online.