They may have no difference in the USA, but despite the beliefs of some of their citizens, the USA is not the whole world... A lawyer is a collective term for anyone who is a law professional. All Barristers and Solicitors are lawyers. A barrister is a lawyer that represents someone in court. A solicitor is a lawyer that does non-court based law, such as conveyancing, writing wills, deeds, company formation, etc. A person typically hires a solicitor, and if it is then necessary for the person to be represented in court, the solicitor will arrange for a barrister to do that representation. Historically in the British justice system, which is used in most English speaking countries, a lawyer could not be both a solicitor and a barrister. Some (most?) countries have relaxed that restriction, although many lawyers still tend to practise either one or the other.

Yes, solicitors and barristers are all lawyers in the UK. It's more commonly used there than in the US. It's interesting that a lawyer/ an attorney can act as both the pleader/barrister and agent/solicitor in the US but not in the UK. So the terms 'Barrister' and 'Solicitor' can be found anywhere where the English common law is used, including the commonwealth countries. One difference that I know of is that if you have a legal case you need to consult with, you'd find a solicitor in the UK and a lawyer in the US. You know what they say about the 6th amendment of the US Constitution, "...if you cannot afford a lawyer, a court appointed lawyer will be provided." So, yeah...=D I haven't fully understand all these unless someone here studies law and answer this clearly for you. The way I learnt all of this was by watching all those law drama tv series from the UK (eg. Silk) and the states. Interesting, eh? I found myself in a similar conversation about the French law last week. =) Definition: Solicitor - An attorney who advises clients on legal matters, represents clients in certain lower courts, and prepares cases for barristers to present in the higher courts. Barrister - A lawyer admitted to plead at the bar in the superior courts.

Hello Ksenijia: There isn't a difference. They are lawyers, attorneys, etc. Perhaps the only distinction to be made is that solicitor and barrister are terms for lawyers commonly used in Great Britain. In the USA, Lawyer or attorney is more common.---Warm Regards, Bruce