In Aotearoa New Zealand, the terms ‘lawyer,’ ‘barrister,’ ‘solicitor,’ and ‘attorney’ often overlap, but understanding their specific distinctions is important to navigating the legal profession. This is largely governed by the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006, which outlines the structure and regulation of legal practitioners.
Lawyer: A general term for someone who has a law degree and is licensed to practice law. In Aotearoa New Zealand, most lawyers are both barristers and solicitors.
Barrister: A lawyer who specialises in court or tribunal work, and may also provide legal opinions. Barristers are not allowed to hold money for clients or do transactional work.
Barrister and Solicitor: A lawyer who can practice as both a barrister and a solicitor, and has few restrictions on the type of legal work they can do. Solicitor work involves providing legal advice and documents, such as contracts, wills, and property purchases. Solicitors are usually the first point of contact for legal needs.
For further information about these differences click on the links below:
New Zealand Law Society: Who is and isn't a lawyer
LegalVision New Zealand: Solicitor - Barrister - Lawyer in New Zealand
