A solicitor is a legal professional who has the legal license to conduct legal affairs and offer advice based on the law. The word lawyer is basically a generic term used to refer to persons with a university law degree. A lawyer can be a solicitor, a barrister, or a judge, so a solicitor is a lawyer.
In this article, you’d be finding out who a solicitor is, what they do, the characteristics of a solicitor, and the differences between a lawyer and a solicitor if there be any, so shall we?
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SOLICITOR AND A LAWYER?
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Essentially, a lawyer is a solicitor and a solicitor is a lawyer, there is little or no difference at all. These two terms are usually interchanged as they both mean the same thing. Nonetheless, a solicitor is not just a lawyer.
He is an individual who has completed the legal practice course and has the authorization to carry out lawful practices. A solicitor is that legal practitioner who foremost has direct contact with the client. So if you’re looking for legal advice, the first person you should see is a solicitor.
It is the solicitor that prepares the lawsuit, translates the client’s issues to legal terms, researches cases, writes the legal documents, as well as handles the day-to-day legal obligations for their clients.
So what exactly does a solicitor do? Well, keep reading to find out!
WHAT DOES A SOLICITOR DO?
Unlike the barrister, a solicitor can perform contentious and non-contentious works i.e they can also carry out legal duties asides from client advocacy or litigation in court.
Solicitors carry out legal duties within and out of the law firm, they are not streamlined to only working within the court chambers, and so can execute non-litigious activities.
The expertise of a solicitor is mostly sought after by large organizations, businesses, companies, and individuals in need of legal guidance. Also, A solicitor can be an expert in any of the 24 different practice areas of law and these are;
- Charity Law
- Commercial Law
- Banking and Finance Law
- Construction Law
- Consumer Law
- Criminal Law
- Private Client Law
- Civil litigation dispute resolution Law
- Corporate Law
- Environmental Law
- Family Law
- Employment Law
- Human rights Law
- Property Law
- Immigration and Asylum Law
- Clinical negligence Law
- Insurance Law
- Intellectual Property Law
Shipping Law
- Housing Law
- Public companies and Equity Finance Law
- Restructuring and Insolvency Law
- Social welfare Law
- Tax Law
READ >>> Who is a Barrister
Solicitors who major in the aforestated laws can profer professional legal advice on any controversial issue as it relates to their field. For instance, a property solicitor, also known as a real estate lawyer, collects the relevant property information for his clients, prepares documentation, negotiates property transactions, and also gives guidance on getting the property rights.
We cannot overemphasize the need for the expertise of solicitors as they act as intermediaries between the layman and law. Without the solicitors, the barristers would be unable to smoothly execute lawful tasks properly because they depend on the instructions of the solicitors to deliver efficiently.
They can also carry out client representation and advocacy in the court but they mostly choose to delegate such duties to the barristers who are more skilled at this. However, it is a solicitor who has a one-one interaction with the clients and gets the first-hand interpretation or information of a case. So, in this regard, a solicitor gathers the pertinent pieces of information, prepares the document, carries out research on the law, and presents arguable cases.
Do you have an interest in becoming a lawyer and are a bit sceptical about being a solicitor or a barrister, you can simply choose to work as a paralegal till you’ve found your foot in the law profession. However, here are a few characteristics:
- Apt attention to detail and information
- Excellent interpretation and communication skills
- Deep understanding of the legal practices
- Ability to come up with reasonable arguments and facts
- Proficient in logical reasoning and analysis
- Excellent research skills
- Problem-solving skills
Also, Read >>> The Differences Between a Barrister and a Lawyer.
Take note that, you can’t possibly become one without being first a lawyer, that is having a degree in law. This can only be done if you undergo a legal apprenticeship programme. This programme focuses 80% on work and the other 20% on education and training and you will work in a law firm for six to seven years.
It takes the eye of an expert to guide you from making those deadly mistakes when enforcing your legal rights, and I’m sure you wouldn’t want to fall into the trap of, “whatever you say will be used against you”. So, you’d certainly need a solicitor to help you win those cases, make legal transactions, and resolve those disputes.
