In short, most barristers spend most of their time in court
presenting cases and most solicitors spend their time preparing them.
However,
you will get some solicitors who do at least as much court work as barristers,
particularly in the magistrates or county courts.
Barristers
and Solicitors have had much the same legal education, so it is not the case
that one is “better at the law” than the other. Because barristers tend
to be in court more, they often have better advocacy skills but that is not
always the case.
Members
of the public cannot generally approach barristers directly and ask them to do
work for them. This usually has to be done through solicitors, who will
instruct a barrister at an appropriate time in a case. This is for the
very good reason that barristers are not geared up to deal directly with the
public. They are often out at court, and they are self-employed
individuals who do not employ assistants and secretaries to deal with queries
while they are out at court.
In
some court hearings barristers have to wear wigs and gowns, but in many
hearings now they just wear business suits.
Your
solicitor may arrange a conference with a barrister that may take part at the
solicitor’s office or the barrister’s chambers, to prepare for a hearing.
All this will be done through the solicitor, and the barrister will not take
calls from you directly about it afterwards.