Appeals occur after a case has gone to final Judgment in the Trial Court, where one party requests a formal change in the official decision from a higher authority. The basis for an appeal may be grounded on the argument that the Trial Court made an error of law or abused its discretion. Appeals function both as a process for error correction as well as a process for clarifying and/or interpreting the application of the law. Appeals court cases set precedent for trial judges to follow in future cases.