After my hearing or trial

Examples of court or tribunal decisions include:

• A criminal court finding you guilty or not guilty if you’re a defendant in a criminal case.
• The Family Court approving or rejecting an application for a divorce.
• The Family Court deciding on childcare arrangements.
• Another civil court approving or rejecting a claim for money against another person or a company.
• An employment tribunal approving or rejecting a claim against an employer.
• Another tribunal approving or rejecting a claim against a decision of the government, for example, about an immigration or asylum claim.
• A court or tribunal approving or rejecting an appeal against a decision of another court or tribunal.

The decision made about your case might be simple and easy to understand. However, courts and tribunals can make complicated decisions. An example could be an order that requires you or someone else in your case to do certain things, or avoid doing certain things.

When your solicitor explains the decision made about your case, they need to:

• communicate clearly and provide information in a way you can understand
• meet your needs
• be sensitive, for example, if you’re upset aboutthe decision made about your case.

After your hearing or trial, your solicitor might tell you some options for you to consider about the future of your case. These can depend on:

• the court or tribunal that dealt with your case
• what area of law your case is in
• your personal circumstances, which can include your goals and financial situation.

One option you might need to think about is if you want to appeal the decision made about your case, for example, if:

• a criminal court has decided you are guilty of a crime
• another court or tribunal has rejected your application or claim
• another court or tribunal has approved an application or claim against you.

Find out more about appeals.

However, your solicitor can only act on the instructions you've given them, which might not cover anything after your hearing or trial.

So if you want advice about your options, such as an appeal, you might need to give new instructions to your solicitor or instruct someone else.