When you are looking for legal representation, not only is the overall legal professional and wording complex enough, but often you have no idea where you should hire a lawyer or a solicitor. While it may seem as though these two definitions are the same thing, there are subtle differences. Wills Trusts LPA solicitors specialize in navigating the complexities of wills, trusts, and LPAs, ensuring your assets are protected and your wishes are honored.

General Overview

In general, you can break it down like this: A lawyer can be a solicitor as well as a judge, barrister, and counsel. On the other hand, a solicitor can practice law but cannot become a judge or barrister (unless they get extra training). You are likely to hire a solicitor who is also a lawyer when you need legal representation. There are also differences in different legal systems and the way they define the term. For example, if you are looking for the best solicitors in Gold Coast in Australia, you will find that they work in public and private cases. On the other hand, your search will turn up the term attorney rather than a solicitor if you are in the USA. Although they are historically the same thing, in the USA, the term solicitor refers to public government lawyers while an attorney is a private one. The one thing that all jurisdictions share is that they are all lawyers. If you’re wondering about what happens if your green card expires, seeking advice from an immigration attorney can be valuable.

What Does A Solicitor Do?

The job of a solicitor differs slightly from that of a lawyer because it is more administration-based. This means that they will typically focus more on preparing a case before it gets to court. This can involve research, gathering evidence, and speaking to witnesses. It also involves communicating with the court to arrange a date their clients can be seen. Furthermore, they tend to deal more specifically with civil matters, including:

  • Personal injury: This is when somebody is injured due to an accident that isn’t’ their fault. They may be liable to receive compensation for medical expenses and lost earnings.
  • Wills and probate: Wills and probate are two separate subjects, but many people confuse them. A will is a legal document that allows you to leave money or property to specific beneficiaries after you die. Probate is the process of a court determining whether your will is valid or not, and if so, how it should be executed.
  • Family law: This field includes a wide range of issues, including domestic violence, child custody, property division, and spousal and child support, among others. This can blend the lines between civil and criminal law if violence is involved.
  • Litigation: Litigation refers to the legal process of two or more parties arguing their case in a court of law. Litigation is generally the most effective method of resolving disputes that cannot be resolved through other ways, such as arbitration, mediation, or negotiation.
  • Property law: Property law is the body of law that governs real property, including land, buildings. Property law is designed to give owners the right to do what they want with their property and protect owners from interference by others.
  • Commercial law: Commercial law is based on principles of property law, contract law, and tort law. Commercial transactions include transactions involving goods, real estate, legal rights to an object, and financial transactions. Commercial law is distinct from criminal law and the law of contract.

What Does A Lawyer Do?

Depending on your location, a lawyer will do all of the above and more. Typically, a lawyer will also deal with criminal cases and advise their clients about conducting themselves during criminal interviews and representing them in court. This is the job of a barrister, which a lawyer can also be.

What Is A Barrister?

Barristers generally advise people and organizations, represent them in court and tribunals, and write legal advice. For example, in England and Wales, a barrister is often hired by a solicitor to represent their case in court. Barristers are responsible for translating and structuring their clients’ views and opinions into legal arguments and making persuasive arguments that obtain the best possible outcome for their clients. They will tend to become very specialized in specific areas of the law. For example, if a solicitor represents a client in a divorce case who needs to go to court, they may hire a barrister with specialist knowledge about custody law. 

The answer to this question varies according to your jurisdiction. For example, there is even a separation between England and Wales and Scotland in the UK, which call solicitors “advocates’ and have slightly different responsibilities. Generally speaking, you can say that a solicitor has a general view of the law, whereas a lawyer tends to go into more specific areas.

Published by Holr Magazine.