You will probably have come across the terms \u2018lawyer\u2019, \u2018solicitor\u2019 and \u2018barrister\u2019 before, whether in real life or through television. As a business owner, it is important to know the difference between these three legal entities and how they can help you in your business practices. In short, they are all professionals who provide legal services that can help your business operate within the boundaries of the law. This article will outline the key differences between lawyers, solicitors and barristers operating in England and how they can each help your business practices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In England, the term lawyer is quite a far-reaching phrase. It works as an umbrella term for any person that is a Licenced Legal Practitioner (\u2018LLP\u2019). In other words, a lawyer is a term for someone who is allowed to provide legal advice on the law. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In places around the world, a lawyer can mean anything from a person who practices law to someone with a legal qualification from a university. However, in England, the term is an overarching term for both solicitors and barristers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Solicitors are qualified legal practitioners who advise their clients on a broad range of matters, from criminal to commercial law. They operate by taking instructions from their clients and advising them on legal disputes. Solicitors<\/a> can also help advise clients during business transactions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many businesses throughout England rely on solicitors to help them run their day-to-day business operations. Whether that includes advising you on your employment contracts or helping you recover earnings from someone refusing to pay you for a service, a solicitor\u2019s functions are varied. Typically, however, a solicitor\u2019s work falls into the two main categories of contentious and non-contentious work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Contentious work describes situations where a solicitor is employed to help a company settle disputes against other parties. This is also known as dispute resolution and occurs when one party brings a claim against another. Each party will usually engage a dispute resolution lawyer to argue their case. When parties reach an agreement, the dispute will usually be settled. Alternatively, you can settle disputes through arbitration or in court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In non-contentious legal work, solicitors will advise you on how your business can continue to carry out its daily functions and help your organisation to grow. At a fundamental level, solicitors can help you negotiate and draft contracts<\/a> that will help you attract more business. Furthermore, solicitors can also ensure the contracts you use do not contain unfair terms.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n An unfair contract term is any clause in a contract that disproportionately gives one party greater rights or benefits than you and can cause you some form of financial detriment. An example of an unfair contract term would be where a party is required to pay substantially more than what would be considered reasonable for a service. Consequently, these measures both protect your commercial agreements and reduce the likelihood of future disputes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, they can advise you on financial matters relating to the markets and internal company employment arrangements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n More specific examples of non-contentious legal work include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n1. Contentious Work<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Non-Contentious Work <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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