What are attorneys called in South Africa?
Asked by: Brandi Brakus | Last update: December 24, 2025Score: 4.6/5 (9 votes)
A lawyer is generally referred to as anyone in South Africa who practices law. However, to be allowed to practice law you need to be admitted as an attorney or advocate. They are licensed to practice law and obligated to uphold the law while protecting their client's rights.
What is a lawyer called in South Africa?
In different regions around the world, licenced legal professionals are called by different names. In South Africa, we refer to someone who performs a legal function as lawyers or attorneys (which can be used interchangeably).
What are Nigerian lawyers called?
Nigerian lawyers are associated with different names or appellations and they practise their legal profession in different categories and institutions, which include the following: Barristers. Solicitors. Attorneys. Advocates.
What is the formal name for an attorney?
The term attorney is an abbreviated form of the formal title “attorney at law.” An attorney is someone who is not only trained and educated in law, but also practices it in court. A basic definition of an attorney is someone who acts as a practitioner in a court of law.
What is the difference between an advocate and an attorney in South Africa?
In South Africa, attorneys handle general legal tasks like client consultation and document preparation, while advocates specialise in courtroom advocacy and are usually hired by attorneys to represent clients in higher courts.
A day in the life of a Candidate Attorney || Court Edition
Is advocate a title in South Africa?
Apart from attorneys, there is also another 'branch' of legal practitioners in South Africa, namely advocates.
What is the equivalent of a district attorney in South Africa?
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is the agency of the South African Government responsible for state prosecutions.
What is the slang term for attorney?
Mouthpiece is a slang term for a lawyer, especially a criminal defense lawyer. The term stems from the view of lawyers as being the spokesperson for their client.
What is another term for attorney?
attorney barrister counsel counsellor defender jurist mouthpiece pleader practitioner proctor procurator solicitor.
What do people call attorneys?
It depends somewhat on the context but generally there is nothing magical about attorney as a title, most lawyers I know are simply referred to as “Mr. Smith”. We often refer to each other as “Counsel”, as in “Counsel, are you planning to file the motion this afternoon?” Many lay people also refer to me as “counsel”.
What are lawyers called in Ghana?
The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) is a professional association of lawyers in Ghana, including what used to be called solicitors and barristers but they are now called legal practitioners, as well as magistrates.By convention, all lawyers admitted to practice in Ghana become automatic members of the association.
What are American lawyers called?
An attorney at law (or counsellor-at-law) in the United States is a practitioner in a court of law who is legally qualified to prosecute and defend actions in court on the retainer of clients.
What is the full meaning of san?
Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) is a honorific title that is conferred on legal practitioners in Nigeria of not less than ten years' standing and who have distinguished themselves in the legal profession.
What is the title of a lawyer in Nigeria?
In this regard, a lawyer in Lagos, Abuja or any other state in Nigeria, usually takes on the title of “Barrister, Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria”. The terms Attorney, Barrister, Solicitor, Legal Practitioner, Counsel, and Advocate are sometimes used interchangeably in Nigeria.
What is a barrister in South Africa?
In South Africa the employment and practice of advocates (as barristers are known in South Africa) is consistent with the rest of the Commonwealth. Advocates carry the rank of Junior or Senior Counsel (SC), and are mostly briefed and paid by solicitors (known as attorneys).
What is a prosecutor in South Africa?
A public prosecutor is a person who prosecutes accused persons in the magistrates' courts on behalf of the State. He/she leads evidence by the State witnesses and crossexamines the witnesses of the accused. Approximately 90% of a public prosecutor's work takes place in court.
What is a nickname for a lawyer?
Another outdated slang term is “ mouthpiece”. “Ambulance chaser”. “Legal eagle”. Probably many others, those are the ones that come to mind.
What is an attorney vs. lawyer?
The primary difference between an attorney and a lawyer is that an attorney is licensed to practice law and represent clients in court, while a lawyer has completed law school but may not be licensed to practice law. All attorneys are lawyers, but not all lawyers are attorneys.
What is another word for an attorney?
The American Bar Association states on their website that “A lawyer (also called attorney, counsel, or counselor) is a licensed professional who advises and represents others in legal matters.”
What is the formal title for a lawyer?
In the United States, esquire (often shortened to Esq.) is a title of courtesy, given to a lawyer and commonly appended to his/her surname ( e.g. , John Smith, Esq. or John Smith, Esquire) when addressing the lawyer in written form.
What is British slang for attorney?
BARRISTER - 33 Synonyms and Antonyms - Cambridge English.
What is an attorney in South Africa?
In South Africa, Attorneys are lawyers who provide legal advice and representation to clients, aiding individuals and businesses in their legal dealings, and as required, handling related correspondence and writing up contracts.
What is a state attorney in South Africa?
The Office of the State Attorney provides legal services to national and provincial departments. State attorneys are attorneys in the service of the State. They represent the State in all lawsuits and transactions for and against the State. They work and function in the same way as ordinary attorneys.
What does NPA stand for in South Africa?
The mission of the National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa (NPA), guided by the Constitution, is to ensure justice for the victims of crime by prosecuting without fear, favour and prejudice and, by working with their partners and the public, to solve and prevent crime.