What constitutes an appeal in the context of civil procedure?

An appeal in civil procedure is primarily understood as a review of a trial court's decision. This process allows a higher court to examine the outcomes and proceedings of the lower court to determine if there were any legal errors that affected the judgment or rulings that were made. The appellate court does not conduct a new trial or hear new evidence; instead, it relies on the record from the original trial and focuses on whether the law was applied correctly in the previous decision.

This option is distinct from a request for new evidence, which introduces new information not previously considered. Appeals are not about finding new facts but about ensuring legal standards were upheld during the original trial. Negotiation processes and settlement proposals involve direct discussions between the parties to resolve their disputes, often outside of a court's intervention, which does not align with the nature and function of an appeal. An appeal is fundamentally a legal process aimed at examining decisions made by a lower court rather than facilitating negotiations or settling disputes.