SPelham

and a QC ??

Just wondering really as I was asked earlier and haven't got a clue !!

paulr

Wait til you get the bill,you'll soon find out.

Brendan Hughes

lawyer - not sure. Generic term?

Solicitor - generalist. About 40 000 in UK. They do the book work.

Barrister - specialist. About 4 000 in UK. They argue in court.

Members of public go to see solicitors, may be referred to barristers if necessary.

High ranking barrister is a QC.

These were 10 yrs ago, now the barriers are breaking down, and the difference might die altogether.

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

Lawyer/solicitor the same

QC is a barrister

Basically, a barrister has trained before the bar in advocacy and a lawyer/solicitor hasn't - they have limited rights of appearance in court.

SPelham

Wow ! there you go, you learn somthing new everday
Cheers Guys !

Dracoro

I think Lawyer is the term americans use rather than using the term solicitor and the term is gradually working it's way through our society (people brought up on american TV etc.).

Amen Corner

PTMW - that's not quite right any more. As Brendan says, the divisions are breaking down these days and many solicitors have taken their advocacy qualifications nowadays and have full rights of audience. It's not even completeley accurate any more to say that solicitors are generalists and barristers specialist. I'm a solicitor, but my practice is far more specialist (you might even say limited!) than that of many barristers at the commercial bar.

Basically, members of the public can't go direct to barristers. The traditional role of a solicitor was to be the legal equivalent of a GP, and give the public general legal advice. If the solicior wanted to get more specific legal advice, he would "solicit" the services of a barrister, much as a GP would go to a specialist.

And as Drac says, "lawyer" is really more of a US term, but can be used generically to cover solicitors, barristers, legal execs etc. Oh, and as Brendan said, "QCs" or as they are otherwise called, "silks" are barristers with a particular level of experience/ reputation.

Numptie

Amen Corner

Numptie

It's bookmarked !

Badger Stuffer

Solicitor: Deals with legal matters outside of court.

Lawyer: Represents you in magistrates court.

QC: Queens council. For Crown Court.

IIRC.

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

AC

It was correct enough to answer the question




Wife's a solicitor so aware of the barrier breakdowns. Prices that some barristers can get for just a days work is I want her to retrain but she's happy plodding along where she is..

Brendan Hughes

Puff - five years ago, a few of my friends were cross-qualifying from barristers to become solicitors as they couldn't find the work. And with the removal of the "appearing in court" restrictions, barristers are less and less specialist. Plus she'd have to take time (=money) out to go through the training. Then you look at the recent recommendations to remove the QC tag altogether as it is restrictive practice, and ask if it's really worth it.

blair

I thought it was that a solicitor can get arrested for doing what they do but, as far as I know, no body has been arrested for lawyering

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

Well, she's in claimant PI & the pay (comparatively to other branches) is cr@p. She should do City Commercial stuff

Luke

The solicitor costs money to try and help you
A QC charges you money to get "off" just about anything.

carl

Barristers can't advertise either -- they are usually appointed by solicitors.

Buzzer

Simple

In analogical terms think of the legal system as being a great battle and you are fighting in it.

The Soliciter is the one who strips all the bodies of possessions once the battle is over.

The Barrister is the one who bayonets the wounded

and the QC is the one who Sh@gs the corpses that the Barrister has just bayonetted.

Sorry if i sound cynical, just my thoughts

IMHO of course