Text of the provision

Sec. 21. Indigent party. — A party may be authorized to litigate his action, claim or defense as an indigent if the court, upon an ex parte application and hearing, is satisfied that the party is one who has no money or property sufficient and available for food, shelter and basic necessities for himself and his family. Such authority shall include an exemption from payment of docket and other lawful fees, and of transcripts of stenographic notes which the court may order to be furnished him. The amount of the docket and other lawful fees which the indigent was exempted from paying shall be a lien on any judgment rendered in the case favorable to the indigent, unless the court otherwise provides. Any adverse party may contest the grant of such authority at any time before judgment is rendered by the trial court. If the court should determine after hearing that the party declared as an indigent is in fact a person with sufficient income or property, the proper docket and other lawful fees shall be assessed and collected by the clerk of court. If payment is not made within the time fixed by the court, execution shall issue or the payment thereof, without prejudice to such other sanctions as the court may impose.

2019 Rules of Civil Procedure (A.M. No. 19-10-20-SC), Rule 3, Section 21. Reproduced verbatim and verified word-for-word against the Supreme Court's official text and the ChanRobles rendering.

About this section

This is Section 21 of Rule 3 (Parties To Civil Actions) of the 2019 Rules of Civil Procedure, the rules promulgated by the Supreme Court in A.M. No. 19-10-20-SC and in force since May 1, 2020. The text above is reproduced verbatim from the current rules.

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Note. The text above is reproduced in full from the 2019 Rules of Civil Procedure (A.M. No. 19-10-20-SC), verified against the Supreme Court's official publication and the ChanRobles rendering. The framing around it is general legal information, not legal advice. How a rule applies to a particular case depends on facts that only a lawyer reviewing your matter can assess.