Solicitors and lawyers are terms that are regularly interchanged and many people believe they are simply two words for the same profession.
It is true that both solicitors and lawyers overlap regularly, and that all solicitors are lawyers but in England not all lawyers are solicitors and that is where the confusion can sometimes arise.
In fact, the term lawyer is not a specific job title in itself in the UK, although it is in America, and is instead an umbrella term for a number of different roles including solicitors, barristers, arbitrators and advocates.
What is a Solicitor?
Solicitors are lawyers whose role it is to provide their clients with carefully tailored legal advice right from the very moment that a case begins, and sometimes even earlier.
Anyone who becomes a solicitor is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and will often begin working on a case from the very outset.
Their primary objective at all times is to defend the legal interest of their clients and act upon their wishes although they will use their extensive legal knowledge to make suggestions and advise on the best route forward.
Solicitors are the first point of contact for their clients should they have any questions or concerns about the case or how things are progressing.
There are over 20 different areas of law in which a solicitor may specialise in so if you are seeking representation yourself it is important to seek out someone with a proven track record in the relevant area, not just the biggest name.
At Aamer Anwar Solicitors, for example, we specialise in Criminal law, human rights law, immigration law, and international law in particular, and have worked incredibly hard to establish our current position as the number one solicitor for those facing charges in Scotland.
What do solicitors do on a daily basis?
The day-to-day role of a solicitor can be incredibly varied but does include certain key duties that will be carried out as a matter of routine.
Researching
There is a whole lot more research and paperwork involved in being a solicitor than TV and film would have you believe.
Not only do solicitors have to do a huge amount of case law research during cases, but must also keep themselves fully updated on all the latest developments in regards to legislation and international law.
Advising
A solicitors bread and butter is providing their clients with expert legal advice that will give them the best hope of a positive outcome. This might be charges being dismissed but could also be a smooth property transaction or amicable divorce settlement. It really depends on the type of solicitor.
The one thing that you can be sure of is that by taking the advice of a qualified well-respected solicitor, the legal system will become a lot less confusing and complex.
Working with other solicitors
Any solicitor worth their salt will spend a good amount of time building a network of contacts within he legal profession that they can call on for advice if required.