UK Solicitors vs Barristers Explained: The Difference, Training, and How the Legal Profession Works

The UK legal profession is unique in dividing lawyers into two distinct branches: solicitors and barristers. Solicitors provide legal advice, handle paperwork, and represent clients in lower courts, while barristers specialize in court advocacy (representing clients in court) and provide specialist legal opinions. There are around 160,000 solicitors and 17,000 barristers in England and Wales, with solicitors making up the majority of the legal profession. The traditional division—solicitors handle client relationships and case preparation, barristers handle court advocacy—has blurred since the 1990s, with solicitors gaining rights of audience in higher courts (Crown Court, High Court, Court of Appeal) and some barristers working directly with clients without a solicitor intermediary. Understanding the difference between solicitors and barristers, their training, and how they work together is essential if you need legal representation or are considering a legal career.

What Is a Solicitor?

Solicitors are lawyers who:

• Provide legal advice to clients (individuals, businesses, government)
• Handle legal paperwork (contracts, wills, property transactions, court documents)
• Represent clients in lower courts (magistrates' courts, county courts, tribunals)
• Instruct barristers to represent clients in higher courts (Crown Court, High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court)

Solicitors work in:

• Private practice (law firms, ranging from small high street firms to large City firms)
• In-house legal teams (companies, charities, government departments)
• Public sector (Crown Prosecution Service, Government Legal Department, local authorities)

There are around 160,000 solicitors in England and Wales, according to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) as of November 2024.

What Do Solicitors Do?

Solicitors' work varies depending on their area of practice:

1. Corporate and Commercial Law

• Mergers and acquisitions (buying and selling companies)
• Commercial contracts (drafting and negotiating contracts)
• Corporate finance (advising on fundraising, IPOs, bonds)
• Employment law (advising employers on employment contracts, redundancies, discrimination)

This is the highest-paid area of solicitor work, with newly qualified solicitors at large City firms earning £100,000-£150,000.

2. Property Law (Conveyancing)

• Buying and selling residential property (handling contracts, searches, Land Registry)
• Commercial property (leases, development agreements)
• Landlord and tenant (evictions, rent disputes)

Conveyancing is a major part of high street solicitors' work.

3. Family Law

• Divorce and financial settlements
• Child custody and contact
• Domestic violence orders

Family law is often legally aided (if domestic violence is involved), but most family work is now privately paid due to legal aid cuts.

4. Criminal Law

• Representing defendants in magistrates' courts and Crown Court (instructing barristers for Crown Court trials)
• Police station advice (advising suspects during police interviews)

Criminal solicitors are often legal aid funded, but legal aid pay rates are low.

5. Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence

• Road traffic accidents, workplace injuries, medical negligence
• Negotiating settlements with insurers or defendants

Personal injury work is often done on a no win, no fee basis (conditional fee agreement).

6. Wills, Probate, and Trusts

• Drafting wills
• Administering estates (probate)
• Setting up trusts

This is a staple of high street solicitors' work.

How to Become a Solicitor

To become a solicitor in England and Wales, you must:

1. Complete a Qualifying Law Degree (or Conversion Course)

• Law degree (LLB) — 3 years full-time (or 4 years if combined with another subject)
• Non-law degree + Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) — 1 year full-time conversion course (if you have a degree in another subject)

2. Pass the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE)

The SQE replaced the Legal Practice Course (LPC) in 2021. It has two parts:

• SQE1 — multiple-choice exam testing legal knowledge (Functioning Legal Knowledge)
• SQE2 — practical assessments testing legal skills (client interviewing, advocacy, legal research, writing, drafting)

You can take the SQE without completing a law degree or GDL, but most candidates do.

3. Complete Two Years of Qualifying Work Experience (QWE)

You must complete two years of work experience in a legal environment (law firm, in-house legal team, law centre). This can be done before, during, or after the SQE.

4. Pass the Character and Suitability Assessment

The SRA assesses whether you are of good character (no serious criminal convictions, no dishonesty).

5. Admission as a Solicitor

Once you have passed the SQE, completed QWE, and passed the character assessment, you are admitted as a solicitor and can practice.

Solicitors' Rights of Audience

Solicitors have automatic rights of audience in:

• Magistrates' courts
• County courts
• Tribunals

To represent clients in higher courts (Crown Court, High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court), solicitors must qualify as solicitor-advocates by:

• Completing additional training (advocacy course)
• Passing exams (higher rights of audience assessment)

Around 6,000 solicitors have higher rights of audience, according to the SRA. However, most solicitors instruct barristers for higher court advocacy rather than doing it themselves.

What Is a Barrister?

Barristers are specialist lawyers who:

• Represent clients in court (advocacy)
• Provide specialist legal opinions (written advice on complex legal issues)
• Draft complex legal documents (pleadings, skeleton arguments)

Barristers are self-employed (not employees of law firms) and work from chambers (shared offices where barristers rent space and share administrative staff). Barristers are instructed by solicitors (or, since 2004, directly by clients in some cases).

There are around 17,000 barristers in England and Wales, according to the Bar Council as of October 2024.

What Do Barristers Do?

Barristers specialize in:

1. Court Advocacy

Barristers represent clients in court, including:

• Crown Court trials (criminal cases)
• High Court trials (civil cases)
• Court of Appeal and Supreme Court appeals

Barristers are trained in advocacy (persuasive speaking, cross-examination, legal argument) and spend most of their time in court.

2. Legal Opinions

Barristers provide written legal opinions (advice) on complex legal issues, such as:

• Prospects of success in litigation
• Interpretation of contracts or statutes
• Advice on legal strategy

Solicitors instruct barristers to provide opinions when they need specialist expertise.

3. Drafting Legal Documents

Barristers draft complex legal documents, such as:

• Pleadings (statements of case in civil litigation)
• Skeleton arguments (written legal arguments for court hearings)
• Grounds of appeal

How to Become a Barrister

To become a barrister in England and Wales, you must:

1. Complete a Qualifying Law Degree (or Conversion Course)

Same as for solicitors:

• Law degree (LLB) — 3 years full-time
• Non-law degree + Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) — 1 year full-time conversion course

2. Complete the Bar Practice Course (BPC)

The Bar Practice Course (formerly the Bar Professional Training Course, BPTC) is a 1-year full-time course teaching:

• Advocacy (court skills)
• Drafting (legal documents)
• Legal research and opinion writing
• Civil and criminal litigation

The BPC costs around £15,000-£20,000 (plus living costs), making it expensive.

3. Complete Pupillage

Pupillage is a 1-year apprenticeship with an experienced barrister (a "pupil supervisor"). It has two stages:

• First six months (non-practising) — you shadow your supervisor and observe court hearings
• Second six months (practising) — you take on your own cases under supervision

Pupillage is highly competitive—there are around 400-500 pupillages per year for 2,000-3,000 applicants. Pupils are paid a minimum of £20,000 per year (set by the Bar Council), but many chambers pay more (£40,000-£60,000 at commercial sets).

4. Call to the Bar

After completing the BPC, you are "called to the Bar" by one of the four Inns of Court (Lincoln's Inn, Inner Temple, Middle Temple, Gray's Inn). This is a formal ceremony, but you cannot practice until you complete pupillage.

5. Tenancy

After pupillage, you apply for tenancy (a permanent place in chambers). Tenancy is competitive, and not all pupils are offered tenancy. If you do not get tenancy, you may:

• Apply to other chambers
• Become a "squatter" (rent space in chambers without tenancy)
• Leave the Bar

Barristers' Rights of Audience

Barristers have automatic rights of audience in all courts, including:

• Crown Court
• High Court
• Court of Appeal
• Supreme Court

This is the main advantage of barristers over solicitors.

How Barristers Are Paid

Barristers are self-employed and paid per case (not a salary). They are instructed by solicitors (or clients) and paid a brief fee (for the case) plus refreshers (daily fees for multi-day trials).

Barristers' earnings vary widely:

• Junior barristers (0-5 years' call) — £20,000-£60,000 per year
• Mid-level barristers (5-15 years' call) — £60,000-£150,000 per year
• Senior barristers (QCs/KCs) — £150,000-£1 million+ per year (commercial QCs can earn much more)

Criminal and family barristers (who do legal aid work) earn significantly less than commercial barristers (who do corporate, finance, and commercial litigation). The median income for barristers is around £60,000-£80,000, according to the Bar Council's 2023 earnings survey.

Queen's Counsel (QC) / King's Counsel (KC)

Queen's Counsel (QC) or King's Counsel (KC) is a senior rank for barristers (and some solicitor-advocates) appointed by the monarch on the advice of an independent selection panel. QCs/KCs:

• Are recognized as leading advocates
• Wear silk gowns (hence "taking silk")
• Charge higher fees (typically 2-3 times a junior barrister's fee)

There are around 1,800 QCs/KCs in England and Wales. Appointment is competitive and based on advocacy skills, legal knowledge, and professional standing.

The Cab Rank Rule

Barristers are subject to the cab rank rule, which requires them to:

• Accept any case in their area of practice, if they are available and the client can pay their fee
• Not refuse a case because they disapprove of the client or the case

The cab rank rule is meant to ensure everyone can get legal representation, even if their case is unpopular or the client is disliked. However, it has exceptions (e.g., barristers can refuse if the case is outside their expertise or if they have a conflict of interest).

Solicitors are not subject to the cab rank rule and can refuse to take on a client.

The Blurring of the Divide

The traditional division between solicitors and barristers has blurred since the 1990s:

1. Solicitors' Higher Rights of Audience

Since the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990, solicitors can qualify for higher rights of audience and represent clients in Crown Court, High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court. Around 6,000 solicitors now have higher rights of audience.

This has reduced the need to instruct barristers, especially for straightforward cases.

2. Direct Access (Public Access) Barristers

Since 2004, barristers can be instructed directly by clients (without a solicitor intermediary) under the Direct Access (or Public Access) scheme. This is cheaper for clients (no solicitor fees) but requires the client to handle case preparation themselves.

Direct Access is used mainly for:

• Legal opinions (where no court representation is needed)
• Simple advocacy (e.g., small claims, tribunal hearings)

Around 3,000 barristers are registered for Direct Access work.

3. Employed Barristers

Some barristers work as employees (not self-employed) in:

• Government Legal Department
• Crown Prosecution Service
• In-house legal teams (companies, charities)

Employed barristers do not work from chambers and are not subject to the cab rank rule.

The Bottom Line

The UK legal profession is split into solicitors (who provide legal advice, handle paperwork, and represent clients in lower courts) and barristers (who specialize in court advocacy and provide specialist legal opinions). There are around 160,000 solicitors and 17,000 barristers in England and Wales. To become a solicitor, you must complete a law degree (or conversion course), the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), and two years of qualifying work experience. To become a barrister, you must complete a law degree (or conversion course), the Bar Practice Course, and a one-year pupillage. The traditional division has blurred since the 1990s, with solicitors gaining rights of audience in higher courts and some barristers working directly with clients. Understanding the difference is essential if you need legal representation or are considering a legal career.