What is the English term for solicitor?

Asked by: Valerie Reynolds  |  Last update: September 12, 2025
Score: 4.6/5 (55 votes)

(səˈlɪsɪtə ) noun. 1. (in Britain) a lawyer who advises clients on matters of law, draws up legal documents, prepares cases for barristers, etc, and who may represent clients in certain courts.

What is the British term for solicitor?

The term lawyer is a generic term used to describe anyone who is a Licensed Legal Practitioner qualified to give legal advice in one or more areas of law. A solicitor and a barrister could both be considered a 'lawyer' in the UK.

What is the English translation of solicitor?

solicitor noun [C] (LAWYER)

What is a solicitor in the UK?

What is a solicitor? A solicitor is a qualified legal professional who provides specialist legal advice on different areas of law and is responsible for representing and defending a client's legal interest.

What is the title of a solicitor in UK?

Since the replacement of the judicial aspect of the House of Lords with a new Supreme Court of the United Kingdom (in 2009), separate from the existing Supreme Court of Judicature of England and Wales, the full title of a solicitor is "Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales".

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What is the American equivalent of a British solicitor?

For example, in the United States, attorneys are generally considered to encompass both those who engage in courtroom advocacy (similar to barristers) and those who handle legal matters outside of court (similar to solicitors).

Why do the British call lawyers solicitors?

In Britain, solicitors (first used in the 16th century) originally worked only in a particular branch of the legal system, the courts of equity; today they are lawyers who advise clients and arrange settlements “behind the scenes” but don't argue cases in court.

What is the American word for solicitor?

A solicitor is a lawyer who gives legal advice. American English: lawyer /ˈlɔɪər, ˈlɔyər/

What is a British lawyer called?

barrister, one of the two types of practicing lawyers in England and Wales, the other being the solicitor. In general, barristers engage in advocacy (trial work) and solicitors in office work, but there is a considerable overlap in their functions.

What is the official solicitor in the UK?

Who is the Official Solicitor? The Official Solicitor's full job title is the Official Solicitor to the Senior Courts. The Official Solicitor can ask a firm of solicitors to help you with your court case. If you have mental capacity it means you are able to make your own decisions about something.

What is the Old English word for lawyer?

Attorney derives from an Old French word for lawyer ("attorn"), while lawyer derives from the Old English word ("lawe"). That we use both today is more a reflection of the complicated history of the English language rather than any kind of legal distinction.

What is the old meaning of solicitor?

The word “solicitor” has an interesting etymology. It comes from the Latin word “solicitare,” which is a combination of “solus” (meaning “alone”) and “citare” (meaning “to summon” or “to call”).

What is British slang for attorney?

BARRISTER - 33 Synonyms and Antonyms - Cambridge English.

What are the two types of lawyers in England?

Barristers and solicitors

All solicitors and their firms are approved and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The Law Society is the professional body representing solicitors. Barristers are a wholly separate profession to solicitors - they follow different rules and provide different services.

What is a solicitor's salary in the UK?

Solicitor salaries in United Kingdom

The estimated total pay for a Solicitor is £49,886 per year, with an average salary of £47,231 per year. This number represents the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users.

What is a barrister called in the USA?

The United States does not distinguish between lawyers as barristers and solicitors. Any American lawyer who has passed a bar examination and has been admitted to practice law in a particular U.S. jurisdiction may prosecute or defend.

What were lawyers called in Victorian England?

History of Profession. From early times, the legal profession in England and Wales has been divided into two groups, barristers and solicitors, the latter usually being called attorneys until 1875.

What is the US equivalent of a solicitor?

According to their areas of expertise, solicitors or attorneys in the US can also be called “corporate” or “transactional,” such as real estate attorneys, insurance attorneys, family law practitioners, or mergers and acquisition experts.

What is a slang word for lawyer?

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 a solicitor title in the UK?

The solicitor and barrister are lawyers. Basically the solicitor is a non-trial lawyer and the barrister a trial lawyer. Both don't have any professional honorifics or titles in the UK (as lawyers tend to do in Europe, e.g. Avvocato Giovanni Rossi in Italy).

What is the British word of attorney?

Solicitor is the British English term for a lawyer who gives legal advice and prepares documents, for example when you are buying a house, and sometimes has the right to speak in a court of law.

What is the highest position in law in the UK?

The Attorney General is chief legal adviser to the Crown and has a number of independent public interest functions, as well as overseeing the Law Officers' departments.

What do they call lawyers in Ireland?

A solicitor is a type of lawyer who is qualified to offer legal advice and services. Solicitors are allowed to join together to form partnerships with other solicitors or with barristers and they are allowed to advertise their services.