The UK legal system is a split profession. There are two types of trusted legal practitioners that people can turn to for help — barristers and solicitors. In the next few paragraphs we are going to examine the many differences between these two professions.

A solicitor is really nothing more than a legal counselor. It is his job to dispense everyday legal advice to average citizens. As a result, there are far more solicitors than there are barristers. According to the latest industry report, there are around 60,000 solicitors that work for reputable law firms in the UK.

Because they deal with quotidian issues, the job of a solicitor involves a lot of personal contact. As we said, they are legal counselors more than they are actual attorneys. And as such, it is extremely rare that a solicitor will be called to court. More often than not, they will be asked to draft a letter or research a pedestrian case in Marbella.

By comparison, a barrister is a trial attorney. It is his job to defend and prosecute people who are accused of serious crimes. Because these crimes are few and far between, there are only a few thousand barristers in the UK. These highly-respected professionals are self-employed, unlike solicitors who almost always work for large firms.

On occasion, a solicitor will go back to school and become a barrister. Aside from additional schooling and training, the main difference between a solicitor and a barrister is that a barrister must appear in court. Therefore, he must have a natural talent for public speaking. There's really no way around it. A solicitor can know the law like the back of his hand, but if he cannot perform in court, he will not be successful.