What does a solicitor do?
A solicitor gives legal advice and offers legal services to help resolve legal issues. Some solicitors specialise in areas such as divorce or personal injury. The SRA keeps watch over all solicitors in England and Wales and the firms they work for. You can check a solicitor’s record before you decide.
The short answer
The question “what does a solicitor do” has a short answer. A solicitor gives you legal advice on your situation. They also offer legal services that help resolve the issue. Legal Choices, which the legal services regulators in England and Wales run, says the same.
Legal problems come in many shapes, so many solicitors focus on one field. For example, some work on divorce, while others work on personal injury. As a result, the right solicitor for you depends on the problem you have.
If you are not sure where your problem fits, browse our practice areas first. You may also wonder whether you need a barrister too. Our guide to solicitors and barristers explains how the two roles differ. Take it one step at a time, because a first search can feel confusing.
The kinds of work solicitors do
Solicitors work across many fields, and each field deals with a different kind of problem. Below is a plain tour of the practice areas on this site. Each description is general, so use it to find the right area, not to judge your own case.
Family law covers problems inside a family, such as divorce and separation. Divorce and separation are two examples, while other family problems also fall under this heading. Because each family matter is personal, the details differ from one case to the next.
Conveyancing is the legal work of buying or selling a home. A conveyancing solicitor deals with the legal side of the move, while you deal with the practical side. Ask what the work involves, so you know what to expect.
Wills and probate covers writing a will and dealing with the affairs of someone who has died. People turn to these solicitors when they plan ahead or when someone dies. The work can be sensitive, so a clear explanation matters.
Employment law covers problems at work, such as a dispute with an employer or losing a job. An employment solicitor advises on the work problem you face. Note down what happened and when, because that makes the first conversation easier.
Immigration covers questions about coming to, living in or working in the UK. These solicitors advise people on their right to be here and on the paperwork involved. Keep your documents together, since they help the solicitor see your position.
Criminal defence covers help when police question you or when you face a criminal charge. A defence solicitor advises you during a stressful time. However, every case differs, so general words here cannot tell you what will happen in yours.
Dispute resolution covers disagreements you want to settle, such as one with a landlord, a neighbour or a business. These solicitors help you weigh up how to settle the matter. For example, they can explain your options before you decide what to do next.
Many problems overlap. A house move after a divorce touches both family law and conveyancing. Because of that, one solicitor may cover several areas, while another focuses on one. Ask any solicitor which areas they handle most, since that shows where their experience sits.
How solicitors are regulated
The SRA keeps watch over all solicitors in England and Wales and the firms they work for. Legal Choices says this. Because the SRA looks at the firms too, its watch covers the place a solicitor works, not only the person.
The SRA also takes action when solicitors fall below the required standards or act dishonestly. Therefore, a solicitor does not work unchecked. However, regulation is not a promise of a good result in your matter. It means a body exists that can act when standards slip.
This matters to you in practice. If you know who regulates the person you are dealing with, you know where standards come from. You also know that dishonest conduct is something the regulator can act on.
Before you hire anyone, ask the firm which solicitor will handle your matter. You then know whose record to look up. For more on this idea, read our guide to how to check a solicitor is regulated.
Checking a solicitor
The SRA Solicitors Register lets you look up the records of the solicitors and law firms the SRA regulates. You can use it to check whether somebody is a solicitor and where they work. That check is a sensible first step before you share documents.
Before you search, write down the name of the solicitor and the firm. Also note the town or office address the firm gave you, because that helps you match the record to the right person. Then compare what the register shows with what the firm told you. If the details do not match, ask the firm to explain before you go further.
Keep your notes, since they give you a clear record of what you checked. A short list is enough. It also helps if you later want to ask the firm a question about who is doing the work.
This guide gives only the idea. For the full steps, use our check-a-solicitor page.