When searching online for legal representation in the area of family law, you will have come across search engine listings for family lawyers, family solicitors, chartered legal executives and more. We’re often asked, what is a family lawyer? and what is a family solicitor? Is there a difference? We thought we would clear up the confusion.
What is a family lawyer?
In the UK, ‘family lawyer’ tends to be more of an umbrella term to describe legal representatives that are licenced and qualified to give legal advice in relation to family law matters or act on behalf of a client in legal matters.
Think of ‘family lawyer’ as referring to solicitors and barristers with solicitors giving legal advice throughout an entire family law case on behalf of a client, while barristers are typically more involved in carrying out advocacy work in court.
A family lawyer might also be described as a chartered legal executive – qualified lawyers who do similar work to a solicitor which is described below. Chartered legal executives usually specialise in specific areas of law – including family law. The work of a chartered legal executive will vary according to their specialism.
A chartered legal executive will most likely have studied one area of law to an advanced level. They can be referred to as a family lawyer, but not a family solicitor.
What is a family solicitor?
A family solicitor is described as a type of lawyer and refers to a legal professional or adviser who represents individuals, families or entire organisations in the area of family law. For a legal professional to call themselves a ‘solicitor’ they must be fully qualified and registered with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) in order to practice law.
A client will interact with a solicitor, outlining the details of their situation and a solicitor will offer legal advice on the best course of action. Plus, a solicitor will deal with all the paperwork and communication concerning a client’s case – including the drafting of documents.
A solicitor will also write letters and emails, issue court applications and any other tasks that move a client’s case along.
Solicitors can also oversee negotiations with clients and opposing parties, working toward finding solutions through mediation and represent clients in court.
Does Holland Family Law have lawyers and solicitors?
Yes. Holland Family Law (HFL) has a mix of family lawyers, family solicitors and chartered legal executives. Plus, we have paralegals supporting the team to give our clients the best customer experience possible.
Holland Family Law is a CILEx-regulated law firm in the UK, while the firm’s director, Claire Holland is a member of Resolution, which means that the firm is committed to a particular Code of Practice promoting a constructive approach to family issues that consider the needs of the whole family.
HFL has also been recognised as one of the top three law firms in Leicester by threebestrated.co.uk, while Claire Holland was a runner-up at the 2021 Family Law awards in the Chartered Legal Executive of the Year award category.
Reach out to Holland Family Law for legal advice
