The solicitor’s path is among the most well-known routes to the legal field However, how exactly does a solicitor work? And what exactly is the job of a solicitor? Learn more about the role of a solicitor Bishop’s Stortford.
Solicitor Definition and the Meaning
In the UK lawyers are one who is an official of the profession known as law. They are and is able to handle legal issues like conveyancing, drafting wills, and so on. A solicitor is able to assist clients, act as their advocate in the lower court and even instruct lawyers to advocate for clients before UK higher Courts.
The role of a solicitor is to receive instructions from clients, which could be groups, individuals of private firms, public sector entities and provide advice on the best actions to decide to take from a legal point of view.
If there is an issue that requires an administrative tribunal or a Court the solicitor may instruct an attorney to represent on behalf of the client. The job of the solicitor is to prepare the barrister’s brief. An advocate solicitor, who is granted Rights of Audience, can represent clients in the UK’s top Courts, in the same manner barristers can.
Solicitors are very close with their clients, and are often the first source of contact for clients seeking legal guidance. The job of a solicitor may be split into legal contentious work – for instance, a probate solicitor who is contentious would examine probate cases that are contentious where the real intentions of a deceased person are in question in addition to non-contentious law work.
Legal work that is contentious involves the resolution of conflicts between two parties and usually involves court or tribunal hearings.
Legal work that is non-contentious focuses upon the lawful aspects of commercial or personal issue – such as, for example, negotiating corporate mergers or the drafting of an estate plan.
Day-to-Day Solicitor Roles
In a typical day the role of a solicitor can be varied, with the following:
Interviewing, meeting and advising clients
Negotiating and drafting contract and legal documentation
Expert legal and business advice in various areas of law.
Interpreting and analyzing complex issues of law
Instruction and preparation of cases for barristers
What are the practice areas that solicitors Do They Work In?
There are a variety of solicitors that work across 24 different areas of practice in law. The kind of work solicitors perform is contingent on the law area that they practice in. For instance the work performed by the family law solicitor will be different from the work performed by an environmental solicitor.
If you are planning to become solicitor, you’ll be required to give some serious consideration to the field of law you wish to specialize in as this will define the kind of work you will be doing.
Where do solicitors work?
Solicitors work for the firm of solicitors or work in-house for an public or private sector company.
Law firm
The majority of solicitors begin their careers at a law firm, which provides a mix of on-the job training and pursuing qualifications. Most solicitors be able to specialize in a particular field of law, or work in multiple fields of law.
In-house
In-house solicitors work within the legal department. For instance the BBC as well as a number of government departments, and a number of charitable organizations have departments for legal. In-house solicitors begin their careers at an attorney firm prior to transitioning to a role in the legal department within an organization.
Solicitor Working Hours
The majority of solicitor firms operate on normal 9-5 work hours. But, lawyers often spend in a solitary environment, doing research and documents to be well-prepared, handle their workloads and adhere to deadlines.
In certain situations, especially people who represent multinational companies or clients who are located overseas – need to work across time zones. Working on weekends and evenings is not unusual.
The hours of work of solicitors have to be flexible in order to meet clients’ needs. Therefore, the hours the solicitor is working may be unpredictable. However, the hours that a solicitor works will vary based on the business or company they work for. Some have more regular hours while others are less.
What is the difference between a Solicitor And Lawyer?
The sole distinction between a solicitor and lawyers is the place where they come from. “Solicitor” is more an British word, whereas “lawyer” refers more to an American word.
In the UK”lawyer” is not a term used to describe any specific job within the legal system but rather, it’s an general word to cover any person who is an attorney. Actually, the term “lawyer” has no specific significance under UK law, as per the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) which is the body that regulates solicitors.
How many solicitors are there in The UK?
The profession of solicitor is a thriving one within the UK. Based on the SRA at the time of writing, in May 2022, there were 156,055 solicitors currently working as solicitors. There are 215,567 solicitors registered in England as well as Wales.
Which industry body are solicitors Are regulated by?
Solicitors are overseen through The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). The body that regulates the industry also oversees legal firms as well as non-legal professionals inside law companies. SRA is a governing body for solicitors. SRA has a particular code of conduct that solicitors must follow so that they can best serve the clients’ interests and the general public.
Legal firms or solicitors who are found to be in violation in the code conduct can be liable to disciplinary action. The SRA website has more details.
