Solicitors and barristers: The differences

28 Jan

In Victoria, lawyers are divided into two distinct branches – solicitors and barristers. If you need help with a legal matter, your first point of contact will usually be a solicitor. Barristers usually do most of their work in court. Either a solicitor or a barrister can represent you in court. Usually, a solicitor ‘briefs’ a barrister to appear on your behalf in court. However, for certain types of work (e.g. advice and representation in minor criminal cases), a barrister may agree to represent you in court without being briefed by a solicitor.

Before being allowed to practise as a barrister in Victoria, a solicitor must pass an entrance exam and then complete a nine-month ‘reading’ period. During this period, they develop the skills they need for their new role by completing a course and working under the supervision of a mentor and senior mentor.