When trying to negotiate the law, you will find three terms being thrown around to describe legal experts; lawyer, barrister and solicitor. What is the difference between them and what do they each do? Let’s find out.
Lawyer
The term lawyer is the one you will hear most frequently; and for good reason. A lawyer is anyone who is a qualified, practicing expert of law. They can be experts on many different legal matters and capable of giving advice on a variety of issues, or they can simply offer advice over one key area.
However, their name is a more general overview over different people within the legal profession. This allows us to conclude that both solicitors and barristers can both be described as lawyers.
Barrister
A barrister is the legal expert who acts as your counsel when you are in court in England and Wales. They are either self-employed or work for legal firms or the Crown Prosecution Service. They also sometimes work in the legal departments of the government or companies.
A barrister is an independent party who must work to find a path through the legal options which comes out in the best favour of their client. They are unable to pick and choose which cases they wish to work on and it is common to find barristers who work in the same space together on opposite sides of a dispute. A conflict of interest is not present as they have sworn to stay independent.
Overall, it is best to sum up a barrister as the legal expert who is most likely to be found in court.
Solicitor
A solicitor is the legal expert you are most likely to first go to if you are needing some legal advice. They are the ones who handle claims, file paperwork, and hire barristers for court dates. If you are looking for some legal advice in the Newport area, South Wales Solicitors can help you with a variety of cases.
A good solicitor will be able to advise you on any situation you might approach them with, and if they can’t then they know someone who will. Whether it is family law, wills, conveyance, or criminal litigation, firms of solicitors are likely to employ a number of different experts who will be able to answer any and all questions you may have. They are the ones who you will have the closest relationship to while you are working on your issue.
Overall, we can say that a solicitor is the legal expert you are most likely to build a working relationship with.
When Will I Need Them?
It is difficult to pinpoint when exactly you will need the services of a solicitor or a barrister. The easiest way to think about it is to assume that you will need their help if you are facing some sort of legal trouble. It can be entirely civil and not criminal. If you think you need the help of a lawyer like a barrister or a solicitor, do not be afraid to reach out to one as soon as possible.
Did you know the difference between the three of them?
This is a collaborative post
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