Barristers and solicitors

In the United Kingdom legal professionals can be separated into barristers and solicitors. Both can be classed as lawyers but each perform different tasks. So what does each job entail, and how do the two roles differ?

A solicitor in the UK is a legal professional who people approach for advice on legal matters. These issues include everything from buying a house to making a personal injury claim. Solicitors can be found in towns and cities across the country some working in large city practices whereas others work in small, local firms with just two or three members of staff.

Barristers, who can be identified by their wig and gown, tend to work at higher levels of court than solicitors, and have specialized knowledge of the law. The primary role of a barrister is to argue or advocate in court whereas a solicitor main job is giving advice to members of the public and completing necessary legal documents.

Solicitors are instructed by the general public. A barrister, on the other hand, is instructed by the solicitor who has already seen the client. A barrister will be briefed by a solicitor on what the case involves but after which the barrister will make his own decisions on how to carry the case forward.

Solicitors are regulated by The Law Society whereas the representative body for barristers in is The Bar Council. Barristers tend to be considerably better paid than the majority of solicitors. However, solicitors working for large city firms specialising in corporate law can also be handsomely remunerated.

Some solicitors, known as litigation solicitors do actually represent their clients in court. There are many types of litigation solicitor in the UK including civil litigation solicitor and personal injury litigation solicitor.

Solicitors are considerably more common than barristers. There are in the region of 11,500 barristers in England and Wales whereas there are approximately ten times as many qualified solicitors in the UK.

Take a look at more legal advice and questions. Although, the law is a complex area, there is a great deal you can learn yourself before you seek the advice of a professional.