If you have any legal troubles in the UK, you need to know what type of lawyer to hire. There are solicitors, barristers and chartered legal executives who could help you. While all of these professionals are lawyers, they will not all be able to represent you in court.
Who Can Represent You In Court?
In the United Kingdom, there is actually only one type of lawyer that will be able to advocate for you in court. This is the barrister and the type of barrister will vary depending on the charges laid against you. In most cases, you will be working with a criminal barrister as they are able to represent people facing charges in the Crown Court.
It is important to note that you might be able to work with a solicitor advocate if your case is being heard in the Magistrate’s Court. However, there are some Magistrate’s Courts that only allow barristers to advocate and you need to be aware of this. Barristers will also be able to represent you at a tribunal.
What Does The Solicitor Do?
If you have looked for legal help in the UK, you will notice that most lawyers are actually solicitors. Solicitors are generally not able to represent you in court, but they will be able to offer expert legal advice and support. If you are facing criminal charges, you will generally hire a solicitor who will instruct the barrister when it comes time for trial.
The solicitor will deal with all of the paperwork related to your case as well as any communication. This will include the preparation of any papers for court. A solicitor will also be able to negotiate on your behalf as long as the negotiation does not take place in the Magistrates or Crown Court.
The times when a solicitor will be able to represent you in a Magistrate’s Court will be when there are minor charges. It is important to note that not all solicitors will be able to represent you in court and they will generally need to be solicitor advocates. This is due to the fact that a solicitor advocate will have further training and be able to provide expert advice in a court case.
If you are facing a trial in the UK, you will generally need to work with a barrister. You can instruct a solicitor if the charges you face are minor and they are a solicitor advocate. Read on to choose a lawyer who is best suited to take on your case.
