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A "solicitor" is a term used in many Common law jurisdictions for a lawyer who offers legal services outside of the courts. Whereas a barrister advocates and acts in litigation, a solicitor acts as an advisor and representative, often preparing legal documents including contracts, patents,and wills. In the United States, it is also a title used by government attorneys in some government agencies. In some common law countries including England and Wales, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers, and a lawyer will usually only hold one title. However, in Canada and some Australian states, the legal profession has been "fused," allowing a lawyer to hold the title of "barrister and solicitor" and practice in both roles simultaneously. The United States legal system is not considered "fused" because it never had a divided legal profession; there, outside government agencies, the term "solicitor" is merely "one who solicits," not a legal professional. Before the unification of the Supreme Court in 1873, solicitors practised in the courts of chancery, while attorneys and proctors practised in the common law and ecclesiastical courts, respectively. In the English legal system, solicitors traditionally dealt with any legal matter apart from conducting proceedings in courts (advocacy,) with some exceptions. Minor criminal cases tried in Magistrates' Courts, for example, and small value civil cases tried in county courts are almost always handled by solicitors. The other branch of the English legal profession, a barrister, has traditionally carried out the advocacy functions. Barristers would not deal with the public directly. This is no longer the case, as solicitor advocates may act at certain higher levels of court which were previously barred to them. Similarly, the public may now engage a barrister directly and without the need for a solicitor in certain circumstances.[1]
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