
What Is an Associate Solicitor?
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November 7, 2025When you are reading about any legal process, you may have come across two words or terms: lawyer and solicitor. Many people confuse them as similar things, but they are not the same.
At Mkk solicitors, the most common question we come across is whether there is any difference between a lawyer and a solicitor. The answer to this question is yes. Because all Solicitors are lawyers, but not all lawyers that solicitors. When you know the basic difference between these two terms, you can choose the better one related to your case law.
Understanding the Term Lawyer:
In general, we use the term lawyer it mean anyone qualified to give legal advice. It includes solicitors, barristers, and legal executives. In short, a lawyer is a wide term that we can use for professionals who study, practice, or advise in law.
In the UK, lawyers are providing different facilities to their customers and playing different roles. There are some lawyer which give legal consultations some represent their clients in court. And rest focuses on documentation or research. The duties they perform depend on the area of specialisation and their qualification.
Hence, every solicitor is a lawyer, but not every lawyer is a solicitor.
Who Is a Solicitor?
A solicitor refers to a specific kind of lawyer who is trained and licensed to provide legal counsel, write legal documents, and manage transactions. Solicitors in the UK are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and must comply with high standards of qualification and conduct.
At MKK Solicitors, our solicitors have years of experience, which means you will receive expert legal services across a variety of specialisms: family law, immigration, property, and personal injury. All of our solicitors work directly with the client, and we walk clients through every aspect of their legal issue professionally and with care.
The Key Differences Between a Lawyer and a Solicitor:
1. Qualification and Regulation:
A lawyer can only work according to their legal background or general law degree. Mean while a solicitor must complete an additional legal practice course or solicitor qualifying examination and then register with the SRA.
This means that every solicitor is fully qualified to practice law and provide their legal representation in specific matters.
2. Type of Work:
Solicitors are the ones that usually deal directly with the clients. They represent the clients in lower courts by preparing for the contracts draft wills, manage the property transactions for them. On the other hand the term lawyer include the professionals who do not necessarily interact with clients daily, such as legal researchers or policy advisors.
3. Court Representation:
Usually barrister a type of lawyer are the ones that appear in the higher courts and the solicitors prepare cases and represent clients in the lower courts. but in the recent days however many solicitors now hold advocacy rights. Which means that they allow them to represent clients in higher courts as well.
4. Client Interaction:
Solicitors are often are the ones that the clients contact. they are do once that listen to the problems of the solutions and handle all the necessary paper work.
There are many other types of lawyers that do not deal directly with the clients but are the ones that the support the case from behind scenes.
How to Choose Between a Lawyer and a Solicitor:
When it comes to a legal matter, the best option will depend on your circumstances. If you require ongoing legal advice, help with preparing documents, or if you have a case that needs to be handled, the best option is a solicitor.
Additionally, solicitors work with the client at every stage, from the first meeting to the end of discussion. A solicitor will ensure that any legal issues are dealt with in accordance with the law, whilst keeping the client engaged and protected every step of the way.
At MKK Solicitors, we provide excellent legal advice from qualified solicitors that have expertise and also approachable.
Conclusion:
To conclude, although both lawyers and solicitors are practitioners in the legal profession, their positions are not the same.
A lawyer is a general term for anyone who has qualified in law who is a qualified member of legal profession: a trained and educated lawyer.
A solicitor is a licensed legal practitioner who gives advice and represents clients in legal matters. At MKK Solicitors, our solicitors have a lot of experience providing clients with expert legal advice and guidance in a wide range of legal matters.
If you need legal advice regarding a family issue, an immigration case, property law or any other area of law, our solicitors can speak to you about your situation with professionalism, care, and trust.

