The trial court has entered judgment in your case.  Now what? This series of articles will examine some common questions on appeals to Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court, also known as the Law Court, in civil cases. How Long Will the Appeal Process Take? This is one of the most freqåuently asked questions about appeals, and also one of the most difficult to answer.  Although it is impossible to predict with any accuracy how long a particular appeal will take, in general, the process will likely take at least nine months. It could take up to a year or more. Once the Law Court receives the record on appeal (typically one to two months after the filing of the notice of appeal), the Court will issue a “Briefing Schedule” that indicates when the parties’ written arguments are due to be filed.  In most appeals, this briefing process takes eighteen weeks (a little more than four months). Some appeals—such as matters involving parental rights or guardianship—are subject to an expedited, ten-week briefing schedule. At this point, the timing of the appeal becomes…