Practice question
A party seeks private legal advice before a small-claims hearing, while agreeing no attorney will appear on the party’s behalf at the hearing. An opponent says Section18 by itself bans all legal consultation at every time. Which is correct?
- Section18 criminalizes every prior conversation with counsel
- The cited prohibition concerns appearing for or representing the party at the hearing; it is not that universal consultation ban
- Every lawyer-client consultation is a prohibited hearing appearance
- The rule forbids reading any law before filing
- The party must abandon all independent preparation
Legal references
- A.M.08-8-7-SC, 2022 Rules on Expedited Procedures, RuleIV Sections17–18, officialSCcollation printedpages2035–2036: https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/assets/pdf/journals/Collation_and_Codification_of_SC_Issuance_DIGITAL.pdf
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