Barristers – Who Are They, What Do They Do & More!
Barristers are a special type of lawyer, which is serving in the United Kingdom and countries that were once the colonies of the kingdom. You may remember them from movies and TV series as the guys with funny figs on their heads.
Lawyers wearing these figs are called barristers and just like regular lawyers, they serve in various law-related fields. If you would like to learn more about this funny-looking yet quite important profession, then this guide may be the ideal choice for you.
We have covered everything you may want to know about them including what they do, where they work, and what makes them special.
What Do Barristers Do?
The barristers in the United Kingdom serve as an independent source of legal advice for people who have a lawsuit. They are also specialists in court advocacy. They are mostly self-employed professionals who work in chambers as well.
On the other hand, the government still employs these professionals for various reasons. In addition to this, large private companies in the United Kingdom also employ these professionals for various purposes but mostly for legal work.
As they can represent their clients in the courts, most of the time clients hire them for legal advice. They are often hired by lawyers in specific conditions to represent their clients.
What Are the Types of Barristers?
Although barristers may seem like superior lawyers to many people, the facts are just the opposite. Just like regular lawyers, they also specialize in certain parts of the law. Depending on your needs, you need to find the right professional to work with.
So, their types vary depending on the area of law they specialize in. Some of the common areas of laws, in which they specialize include chancery law, which is related to estates and trusts, commercial law, and common law, which includes personal injury law, housing, or family laws.
Besides these, you can also find professionals specializing in criminal law, entertainment law, sports law, and environmental law.
What Are Their Responsibilities?
Depending on the purpose of your hire, barristers may have various responsibilities. For example, they can negotiate settlements or draft legal documents on behalf of their clients. In addition to this, they can sum up the reasons why the court should be supporting your case.
They are also authorized to examine witnesses and present arguments in court. Of course, as we noted before, they also represent their clients in court. On the other hand, they can advise their clients regarding the evidence and matters of law to build a stronger case.
They also write their opinions and provide consultancy to lawyers and other professionals. Besides, they also prepare cases for court including the legal arguments.
How Much Do Barristers Make?
This is a bit tricky question because many factors can affect the overall income of these professionals. However, experienced barristers, which have more than five years of experience, can make between £75,000 and £200,000 in the private sector.
Just like in all professions, their salary increases in line with their experience. Veteran professionals, who have more than ten years of experience can make up to £1 million annually in the private sector.
Of course, the area of law they specialized in also matters in this regard. In general, professionals specializing in criminal or commercial laws often make much more compared to their colleagues. Sports law is also one of the profitable fields in this regard.
What Skills Are Required to Be a Barrister?
Being a barrister is not an easy task. Besides you need to work hard, you also need to have some skills. Some of the most required skills for barristers include academic ability, determination, stamina, responsibility, and integrity.
In addition to this, they need to be self-motivated people with high self-discipline. Also, they need information technology and problem-solving skills. They all need to pay attention to detail and maintain their calmness when they are under pressure.
Other important skills they are going to need are a great time, people, and project management skills with advocacy, interpersonal, written, and oral skills. Of course, they also need to have high legal and commercial awareness.
Where Do Barristers Work?
Most barristers have to start working in a company or government institution to gain some experience. None of them will be able to work as self-employed without building their customer portfolio and gaining the required experience.
In this regard, they can work in a wide range of areas. Of course, they are quite popular and demanded professionals in the private sector, especially by large organizations. However, besides the private sector, they can work in local governments, armed forces legal services, and government legal departments.
If you want to build a strong claim and make sure that you are going to win your case, then you may want to work with a professional. For this reason, you can search for barristers near me on any search engine to reach the professionals in your area for a consultation.
