When you live in UK and a legal problem arises, you have a few different professionals on hand to deal with the task. Generally, people seem to have a confusion regarding UK solicitors and barristers, not being able to understand what they do, how are the two related and what are some of the differences between them. So, if you are also unaware of what makes a solicitor different from a barrier and how the two go about their works, then here we are to guide you.
Let’s jump in and discuss the duties of a barrister and solicitor.
What is a barrister?
A barrister is a person who specializes in advising as he represents a person in court. He can act as an advocate and defend or pursue the case of a client in different courts and in front of the tribunals. Generally, the barristers have specialization in law. However, what many people don’t know is that there are at least a few different types of specializations on offer for a barrister.
What is a solicitor?
On the other hand, we have a solicitor that many individuals know as a qualified legal practitioner. Usually, such professionals deal with the legal documentation and prepare it for your case and other legal matters. Moreover, one of the responsibilities of solicitors is to provide advice and specialist guidance on both contentious and non-contentious matters pertaining to different areas of law.
What is the difference?
If you take a look at the barristers around, you’ll find that most of them just act as an advocate to undertake legal matters of clients and pursue cases in courts. Barristers are more like attorneys and they work in collaboration with solicitors. However, some of them do work solely on their own. On the other hand, the solicitors deal with the legal works and are employed by various offices and law firms to take care of legal matters.
However, recently, the line between the two professions have become a touch blurry. Solicitors can now attain the ‘rights of audience’ which permits them to represent clients in courts. While there are some limitations and restrictions, they can represent a person in front of tribunals.
Moreover, the barristers are often seen at work on higher levels of court. They are seen as law experts who specialize in legal matters and can help individuals in overcoming their legal obstructions. Solicitors can also help you in dealing with a particular case and represent you at court. However, the level at which the latter operates is fairly low.
Who is best for you?
So, who should you hire? UK solicitors or barristers? Well, the answer to this question largely depends on the type of case you are pursuing. There are instances when you’ll be able to prepare some documents, represent them in court, and get over with the hearings. In such circumstances, a solicitor might be a better option. However, when it comes to complicated and higher level cases where puzzle is pretty confusing and requires serious solving, a barrister might be a better pick.
