Rule 98 Appeals—Small Claims

If you lose a small claims case in justice court, you have the right to appeal to the district court. Either side, whether you were the one suing or the one being sued, can file an appeal.

You need to move fast if you want to appeal. You only have 7 calendar days from the day you were served with the judgment to file your notice of appeal. This is a short window, so don't wait around if you plan to challenge the decision. The way you count those 7 days follows Rule 6, so check that rule if you're unsure about deadlines, weekends, or holidays.

You don't need to wait for a formal "notice of entry of judgment" before you can appeal. The clock starts running once you're served with the judgment itself.

Finally, your appeal paperwork and any required appeal bond have to follow the specific format laid out in Rules 99 and 100. Make sure you check those rules too, since filing things the wrong way could cause problems with your appeal.