What is a Paralegal? And How Does it Differ From Being a Solicitor?

Paralegals and solicitors are two of the most important roles in the British legal system but for people outside the profession they can be easy to mix up.

If you’re weighing up the benefits of being a paralegal vs a solicitor, then you’ve come to the right place. Today we’ll be taking a clear look at what a paralegal is, how the role operates and how it differs from being a full solicitor. 

What is a Paralegal?

Let’s start simple. A paralegal is a trained professional who carries out substantive legal work but does not have the rights of a full solicitor. The term is actually fairly general and can vary a lot between firms but in its simplest sense you can think of a paralegal as an assistant lawyer. They have a lot of legal knowledge and perform many vital tasks but they don’t have the authorization for certain activities.

So, is a paralegal a lawyer?

Well, here’s it’s important to take a moment for a note on terminology. The term lawyer is more commonly heard in the American justice system than the British one. In America a lawyer/attorney is generally speaking an equivalent to a solicitor. That said, in the UK, the term lawyer is much broader and has no official definition.

Most of the time, when people use the word lawyer they’re using it in the American sense to refer to someone who is qualified and authorised to carry out legal duties that a regular citizen could not. So no, a paralegal isn’t quite a lawyer.

The best way to think of a paralegal is as the legal equivalent of a nurse. Some do go on to become full solicitors just as some nurses go on to become doctors but it’s far from a given and many build whole careers within the paralegal profession. In practice, paralegal is a support role, performing low responsibility work so that solicitors have more time to focus on the highly specialised work.

What is a Solicitor?

Okay but what do we mean by ‘highly specialised work’? Well, as a rule it’s solicitors who take on the kind of work you might be liable for. They provide legal advice, work on case strategy, perform legally reserved duties such as litigation, and are able to negotiate on behalf of the client.

A paralegal, by contrast, does a lot of behind the scenes work. They prepare documents and perform research. They can provide some advice to clients but only when it consists of general legal knowledge and case proceedings. In a very broad sense, anything that you might class as a legal opinion has to come from a solicitor. If it’s the kind of information you could probably find with a diligent half hour’s googling, then a paralegal should also be able to provide it.

Solicitor vs Paralegal: Which is Right For You?

So why become a paralegal? Wouldn’t it be better just to be a fully qualified solicitor?

Well to talk about that we have to talk about what you need to do to become a paralegal and how that differs from a solicitor.

If you want to become a solicitor then you’ll need a degree (it doesn’t have to be in law though that does help. You’ll then need two years of relevant work experience across up to four placements. The specific job title isn’t important so long as it exposes you to real world legal experience. Once you’ve done all that, and assuming you can pass a few character and sustainability checks, you can take your SQE (Solicitors Qualifying Examination).

In short it’s a slow process that requires years of preparation. You have to know you want to be a solicitor for a long while and work towards that aim.

Paralegals, on the other hand, have a much more flexible career path and, relatively speaking, a lot less risk at the end of the road. Because the law doesn’t outline any official route to become a paralegal, it’s largely decided by firms. They’ll usually want you to have a degree and some expertise but they’ll be a lot more flexible about the exact kind.

When all’s said and done, paralegal is a much less regulated job that still offers excellent chances for progression. If you’re interested in a career in law but want a little more flexibility then paralegal may be the right path.