The legal profession in the UK includes two types of lawyers — barristers and solicitors. In this article we are going to explain the role of the solicitor in the UK legal system.

A solicitor is more of a counselor than a practicing attorney. It is his job to dispense legal aid and advice. Typically, he will handle minor civil issues that often include a lot of paperwork. A solicitor is seldom expected to appear in court. If and when he does come to court, nine times out of ten it will be for a commonplace case.

Because they work closely with the public and they handle everyday legal issues, solicitors are far more prevalent than barristers. According to the latest numbers, there are over 60,000 solicitors in the UK. Most solicitors work in private practice. They can even handle carpet flooring complaints. How common are they? To use a popular American expression, solicitor's firms are a dime a dozen. You will find one in nearly every town in Britain. Of course, the size of these firms varies from huge organizations to small local shops.

In general, though, solicitors serve local communities, which means that the size of the firm depends on the size of the community. Probably the most common legal advice that today's solicitors dispense has to do with family law, which may also include childcare law. On occasion, a solicitor may be asked to represent a client in a divorce case.