This matter is a matter of opinion. I reprinted an article by a friend of a judge: Judge, can I add you to WeChat? This friend does not agree that judges, lawyers and parties add WeChat to each other. After all, compared with other contact methods, WeChat has private attributes, and cautious judges really want to avoid suspicion. A law school teacher once told me that judges should not meet clients in private, so it is not appropriate to contact clients by phone even after court. In this case, the telephone contact is not good, and WeChat contact is even more indispensable.
But in reality, judges in different places have different practices. I once saw Weibo written by a lawyer friend:
Judging from this Weibo, many judges and lawyers still exchange WeChat, and the reason is very short, which is convenient for both parties to contact.
I believe that lawyers are still willing to add the judge's WeChat, mainly because of poor communication in other aspects. At present, lawyers want to contact the judge, mainly by telephone. In Weibo, I have seen n lawyers complain that the judge's phone is difficult to get through. Did I specifically mention that you called the judge in charge? Let's talk about it. In reality, the leader asked us to answer the office phone in time more than once. Even one of our previous leaders was "traveling incognito". He first went to all the offices to see who was in the office, and then called one by one in the lobby to see who was in the office, but he didn't answer in time. Compared with the phone that is likely to be unanswered, it is obviously much faster and more effective for WeChat to contact the judge.
The judge is willing to add a lawyer's WeChat, which is more convenient to contact and transfer documents. In fact, compared with judges, judges' assistants and clerks are more willing to add lawyers' WeChat. Assistants and clerks need to contact the parties and their agents. It is obviously more convenient and faster to make an appointment for hearing, exchange evidence and supplement materials than to contact by telephone, mail directly or deliver materials. In particular, with the increase of economic ties and the isolation of epidemic situation, on the one hand, the number of parties and agents in the field has increased significantly, on the other hand, the direct contact between parties and courts has become inconvenient. For example, today's trial of a sales contract dispute, the plaintiff is a foreign company, the plaintiff's agent is also a lawyer practicing in other places. Before the trial, he specially called to ask the defendant whether he had submitted evidence. If he wants the judge to photograph the evidence and send it to the plaintiff, it is most convenient for the assistant to exchange WeChat with the plaintiff's agent.
Because of the trial work, it is necessary for the judge to have contact with the parties (and their agents), but it is really worth discussing how to make it convenient and fast. The way the two sides add WeChat to each other is really not perfect, but which way is the best, we have to wait for top-level design and bottom-level exploration.