Belgium
A judgment can be appealed from the moment it is delivered and, in any event, no later than one month as of the date on which it is served by a bailiff (although longer time limits apply if one of the parties resides abroad). This implies that the one-month time-limit does not start when the court informs the parties of the judgment, but only from when one of the parties have taken the initiative to have the judgment served on the other. If none of the parties does so, the time limit will not commence.
If a party decides to appeal a judgment, it must identify the particular objections it has against the court’s decision. Only the parts of the first decision that are appealed will be subject to a new decision. A party could, for example, decide to only challenge the court's decision as to the quantum of the damage and not the question whether or not there was a breach of contract.
The appellate court will review the facts of the case and questions of law. It will, in other words, review the case anew and the parties are free to bring forth new arguments or modify the relief sought (provided, in case of the party who was the plaintiff at first instance, it is based on facts or circumstances mentioned in the initial summons).
A judgment of an appellate court can be appealed to the Supreme Court, but the Supreme Court will only review questions of law. Unlike the appellate courts, which have the full power to review the merits of the case, the Supreme Court can only assess whether the court has applied the law correctly. The time limit for lodging an appeal to the Supreme Court is three months after the service of the judgment on the party that appeals.
Appeal proceedings can last a number of years depending on the court's workload. By way of illustration, some appeal proceedings before the Brussels Court of Appeal have lasted more than five years. The Supreme Court usually takes around a year and a half to decide on a case.