Solicitor or Barrister? The Core Difference
If you want to practise law in England and Wales, you choose between two qualifications: solicitor or barrister. The shortest version of the difference: solicitors are the larger profession, usually employed by firms or organisations, doing a broad mix of advisory and transactional work; barristers are a smaller, mostly self-employed profession specialising in advocacy and expert opinions, traditionally instructed by solicitors.
Since 2021, qualifying as a solicitor means passing the SQE. Qualifying as a barrister means a separate route built around bar training and pupillage. This guide compares the two so you can choose with your eyes open.
The Two Routes Side by Side
| Solicitor (SQE route) | Barrister | |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment | SQE1 + SQE2 | Bar training course assessments |
| Practical experience | 2 years Qualifying Work Experience | 12 months pupillage in chambers |
| Professional body | SRA / Law Society | Bar Standards Board / an Inn of Court |
| Typical employment | Employed in a firm or in-house | Mostly self-employed in chambers |
| Main bottleneck | Securing QWE | Securing pupillage (very competitive) |
| Core skill | Advice, drafting, transactions | Advocacy, opinion, litigation |
The Solicitor Route via the SQE
The solicitor route has three components:
- A degree (in any subject) or equivalent Level 6 qualification.
- The SQE assessments — SQE1 tests functioning legal knowledge through 360 multiple-choice questions; SQE2 tests practical legal skills such as client interviewing, advocacy and drafting.
- Two years of Qualifying Work Experience, which can be gained in up to four placements and is far more flexible than the old training contract.
The route is deliberately flexible: you can sit the SQE while working, spread QWE across roles, and qualify without a traditional training contract. If you are weighing the SQE against the older route, our SQE vs LPC comparison covers the transition.
The Barrister Route
The barrister route runs in three stages too, but they are structured very differently:
- The academic stage — a qualifying law degree, or a non-law degree plus a law conversion (PGDL).
- The vocational stage — a Bar training course (the successor to the BPTC), focused on advocacy, opinion writing and procedure. You must also join one of the four Inns of Court and complete qualifying sessions before being Called to the Bar.
- Pupillage — a 12-month apprenticeship in a set of chambers (or an approved employer), split into a non-practising "first six" and a practising "second six".
The defining feature of this route is that pupillage is the bottleneck. There are far more people who complete bar training each year than there are pupillage places, and competition is intense. Being Called to the Bar does not, by itself, let you practise — you need pupillage.
Cost and Competition
Money and odds matter, so be realistic:
- Solicitor (SQE): assessment fees are £4,908 for SQE1 + SQE2 combined, rising to £5,092 from September 2026 (fee breakdown), plus whatever you spend on preparation. You can prepare for SQE1 on a modest budget, and many candidates are funded or sponsored by employers.
- Barrister: the bar training course alone typically costs £13,000-£19,000, on top of any conversion course — and that is before the pupillage lottery. Pupillage, when secured, is funded with a minimum award, but the places are scarce.
In headcount terms the professions are very different sizes: there are well over a hundred thousand practising solicitors in England and Wales, and only around seventeen thousand practising barristers. More routes in means more flexibility; fewer routes in means more competition.
The Work Itself
Choose based on the job, not just the title:
- Solicitors tend to build long-term relationships with clients, manage matters end to end, draft and negotiate, and advise. Most are employed, with a salary and a clearer early-career path. Advocacy exists but is usually a smaller part of the role.
- Barristers are specialists in advocacy and expert opinion. Self-employment means autonomy and uncapped upside, but also irregular income early on, no salary safety net, and a working life built around courts and chambers.
Which Should You Choose?
A rough decision guide:
- Lean solicitor if you want broad commercial or advisory work, value employment stability and a flexible qualification route, or want to qualify while earning.
- Lean barrister if advocacy is the thing you actually want to do every day, you are comfortable with self-employment and high early-career risk, and you are prepared to compete hard for pupillage.
Neither is "better" — they are different jobs that happen to share a foundation in law.
FAQ
Can you switch from solicitor to barrister (or back)?
Yes. There are mechanisms for cross-qualifying in both directions, though they take additional steps. Plenty of lawyers move across during their careers.
Is one route harder than the other?
Different hard. The SQE is a demanding set of exams with a pass rate around 53%, but the route is open and flexible. The bar's assessments are demanding too, and then the real difficulty is securing scarce pupillage.
Do barristers earn more than solicitors?
Sometimes, eventually — top self-employed barristers can earn very large sums. But early-career income is far more variable and less certain than an employed solicitor's salary, and averages hide a huge spread in both professions.
Can you do both qualifications?
It is possible but unusual; most people commit to one. Dual qualification is more common across jurisdictions than across the solicitor/barrister divide.
The Bottom Line
Solicitor or barrister comes down to the work you want and the risk you will accept: broad, employed, flexible (solicitor) versus specialist, self-employed, competitive (barrister). If the solicitor route is calling, the first concrete step is SQE1 — and you can start right now with a free readiness quiz or full question access and mocks.