Appeals

Simply put, no appellate attorney in Arizona has more published family law appeal opinions than Keith Berkshire, who has 41, two of which are victories at the Supreme Court of the United States.  This is on top of over 120 unpublished appeals.  The Berkshire Law Office’s appellate experience is not just limited to Keith, as Alexandra Sandlin is the most published female family law appellate attorney in Arizona with 14 published opinions on top of over 60 total appeals.

Keith also literally wrote the handbook for family law appeals that is published by the State Bar of Arizona, given his extensive experience.  If you are interviewing appellate attorneys, ask for a list of their published cases, and if they wont give it to you then there is a reason.  Ask them to send you specifically their wins.  And again, if they won’t send it to you, then ask why.  If you asked 20 family law attorneys for a list of the most recognized Arizona appellate attorneys in family law, every one would list the Berkshire Law Office at the top of that list.  Our referrals for family law appeals come directly from other practicing family law attorneys.  They trust us to correct errors made by the trial court in their matters.

When you appeal, hiring a firm who has actually done significant appellate matters is a necessity. Few attorneys in Arizona have anywhere close to the family law appellate experience of the Berkshire Law Office.  Appeals are a complicated and precise area of practice, which require a skilled writer with an analytical ability to parse through complex legal issues.  An appeal is not a chance to “re-try” the case; rather, an appeal points out legal or factual issues within a trial court’s ruling. Appeals rest mainly on the “Briefs” written by the attorneys, which necessitates persuasive writing. Good appeals also start with proper representation at the trial court, to ensure that all appealable issues are raised in the trial court.

Our attorneys frequently teach on appellate matters and have argued successfully in the Court of Appeals and the Arizona Supreme Court.  Keith also successfully litigated two cases, Howell v. Howell, 137 S.Ct. 1400 (2017) and Merrill v. Merrill, 137 S.Ct. 2136 (2017), at the United States Supreme Court. No matter the area of family or juvenile law, the Berkshire Law Office can assist you with your appeal, including trial consultations to ensure that you case can be appealed.  A list of our published appellate decisions is as follows: