Knowing who to contact when you need legal representation can be confusing. The term ‘lawyer’ is really an umbrella term used to describe anyone licensed to practise law. Solicitors and barristers are both forms of lawyer who have different responsibilities.

1. L a w y e r s , S o l i c i t o r s a n d B a r r i s t e r s :
What’s the Difference?
b y D r E d g a r P a l t z e r

2. 2
Lawyers, Solicitors
and Barristers:
What’s the
Difference?

3. 3
K
nowing who to contact when
you need legal representation
can be confusing. The term
‘lawyer’ is really an umbrella
term used to describe anyone licensed to
practise law. Solicitors and barristers are
both forms of lawyer who have different
responsibilities.
However, please note: the distinction
between solicitors and barristers is a
specific UK and Commonwealth feature
and is therefore not applicable in many
civil law jurisdictions.
What Is a Solicitor?
Solicitors take instruction from clients
and work directly with each client. A
solicitor is responsible for providing legal
advice, dealing with communication and
paperwork, and preparing for court. In
certain cases, such as disputes, solicitors
may also represent their clients in court.
However, in more complex cases, this role
will often be passed on to a barrister.
What Is a Barrister?
Barristers specialise in representing
clients in court. While some barristers
may also offer legal advice, they are most
often involved in making arguments in
court once advocacy is required. For this
reason, most people would initially seek
the services of a solicitor to assess their
case, as some cases may not require a
court hearing to be resolved.
Everyone has the right to legal repre-
sentation they trust and are happy with.

4. You can learn more about
how and why to seek a
second legal opinion by
visiting the blog of Dr
Edgar Paltzer.