Solicitor and a Barrister?

In essence a Barrister might be described as a specialist advocate – skilled and experienced in laws relating to evidence, Court practice and procedure, and the art of advocacy. If an analogy is drawn to the medical profession, the GP is similar to the solicitor, and the Surgeon is similar to the Barrister.

Generally a solicitor briefs the barrister on behalf of the client, just as the GP refers the patient to the specialist. Many solicitors appear in the lower courts (and indeed some particularly experienced solicitors appear in the higher courts).

The roles of a solicitor and barrister are different, particularly in a criminal trial. Generally the solicitor and barrister form a close knit team to defend an “accused” in criminal proceedings.

A Barrister is permitted to appear for and advise a client directly (i.e. without a solicitor). However, this matter needs to be carefully considered. Talk to Chris about this to determine what is in your best interests. If it is decided, by you, that your interests are best served by engaging a solicitor, Chris would be pleased to refer you to a competent solicitor.

In certain cases Chris will agree to appear without a solicitor. This is called “direct access”. You can expect a direct access engagement if for example you simply wish to plead Guilty to a minor traffic matter (such as first time drink driving) in the Local Court.