Solicitor
A solicitor gives specialist legal advice on multiple areas of law and represents and defends a client’s legal interest.
Solicitors are fully qualified and registered with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). They give expert advice. And they are the ones who handle communication and paperwork on behalf of their clients. So, they draft documents, including statements and forms. In addition, they issue court applications and write emails or letters. In general, they handle the cases of their clients.
Additionally, they handle negotiations with opposing parties and clients. They help their clients get the best possible outcome in their cases. And they represent clients in court. They work on both small cases to high-value cases. If you are getting a divorce but dont know where to find a divorce lawyer then you can do a Google search for divorce lawyer near me.
Consultant Solicitor
A consultant solicitor is a self-employed solicitor. These legal professionals are fully qualified. They mostly work through an “umbrella” law firm.
In some cases, consultant solicitors work as sole practitioners. They are usually in the later years of their lives. That is why they have several years of experience.
In addition, consultant solicitors help to handle the workload of legal firms. They could have expertise in a specific area of law. They can, however, still represent people in other areas of law because of their experience and skills. They adhere to the current regulations and laws specific to these cases.
Legal Consultant
A legal consultant does not represent a client in a litigation matter. In general, the job of a legal consultant is to advise clients and prepare documentation.
Legal consultants are fully qualified. However, they cannot act as solicitors when providing legal services. Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) regulate both solicitors and law firms. However, Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) does not regulate legal consultants when they provide legal services.
A legal consultant can act as a professional McKenzie Friend.
Legal Executive
A charted legal executive is a qualified lawyer and does the same work as a solicitor. A legal executive specialises in a particular area of law, such as family law or conveyancing.
The work of these lawyers varies depending on their specialism. In general, they draft legal documents, prepare cases, give legal advice, assist solicitors, etc.
The day-to-day responsibilities of these lawyers are the same as those of solicitors. However, the training route of these lawyers is narrower. They specialise early and study one specific area of law.
The charging rate of chartered legal executives varies depending on their level of experience. They cannot be referred to as solicitors. You can only refer to them as lawyers, such as family lawyers.
Paralegal
A paralegal is a legal assistant who performs support tasks for other legal professionals. Their day-to-day responsibilities include interviewing witnesses and clients, research, administration of cases and preparation of legal documents.
Sometimes, they attend court. They do not have to have legal qualifications. However, they must have legal qualifications in some cases. People who have law degrees and want to enter the legal profession will start with paralegal duties.
Paralegals provide affordable legal assistance. This is because it is expensive to hire solicitors. Solicitors charge more than £200 per hour. It is even more expensive to hire solicitors in more senior positions. They charge more money per hour.
It is affordable for many people to hire paralegals. On some occasions, a paralegal may undertake most of the work on a case. However, a fully qualified solicitor will supervise the paralegal undertaking the work.
Once the case reaches a certain point, the solicitor might take over.
Legal Secretary
A legal secretary performs administrative tasks for the team. Legal secretaries ensure that their client’s cases run smoothly. They help to respond to enquiries, liaise with clients, type correspondence, fill in legal forms and produce legal documents.
They look after the clients of their solicitors. This is because they are usually the first point of contact.
