Solicitors

Solicitors or lawyers are trained legal practitioners, who have obtained a law degree some years of study. Solicitors offer legal advice and other legal services.

Solicitors often practice in specialty areas of law and many have an area of practice which is largely industry based, such as shipping, media and television or telecommunications. Many companies will engage a solicitor on a retainer, which is a monthly fee that gives designated personnel within such company regular and continual access to a lawyer. Otherwise lawyers charge fees on an hourly basis. Solicitors are key in all major business transactions, and importance should be placed on finding a solicitor that suits the needs, aims and even culture of the business being serviced.

Most individuals will require the services of a solicitor at some stage, for example if they are buying and/or selling a house, writing a will or attending to the will of a loved one. In addition individuals are likely to need the service of a solicitor in the event of a relationship or marriage breakdown and there are specialist lawyers, known as family lawyers that work solely within the area of domestic relationship breakdown, child welfare and property settlement. Many individuals choose to seek the advice of a family lawyer before marriage to consider the event of a marriage or relationship breakdown.