650 - Opening Brief on Appeal - Minimum Charge
Once the Clerk's Transcript of paperwork and the Statement on Appeal are submitted to the appeals court, there is a "Briefing Schedule" issued, setting the deadlines for the opening brief, the response brief, and the reply brief. If you are the Appellant, the Opening Brief is your explanation of why the trial court did the wrong thing. This is where you specifically challenge the mistakes made by the trial judge.
It is a very thorough documents, requiring specific references by page and line to the record on appeal accompanying the legal citations to authority. It has to meticulously show what the mistake was, why it was a mistake, as well as where and how that mistake occurred. Although there is a "hearing" on the appeal, the appellate judges usually make their decision beforehand, based upon the Briefs, so what is said in your Opening Brief is in effect your trial of the trial.
Given the unknown nature of your appeal issues, the $1100 posting price on this is the minimum for reviewing and analyzing the records and drafting the Opening Brief. It is impossible to determine in advance how long this will take, because it depends upon how much of what happened you want to, and can, appeal. When it is done, you will be advised as to any additional amount needed.