Types of lawyers

Government solicitor

A government solicitor is a lawyer who works in a particular branch of government. Their job is to provide legal advice to the government agency where they work. They are a public servant and cannot be hired by an individual member of the public to represent them. In NSW, all government agencies have solicitors. A Crown solicitor is also there to be a legal advisor to the NSW Government and cannot be hired by an individual member of the public. The objective of the NSW Crown Solicitor’s Office is to advise and represent agencies so that they can deliver the NSW Government’s policies, programs and projects in a lawful, effective and efficient manner.

In-house corporate lawyers

In-house lawyers are solicitors who carry out legal work and provide legal advice directly for their employer, as opposed to working in a law firm or in private practice. They cannot be hired by an individual member of the public to represent them.

Private practitioners

Private practitioners are solicitors who can be contacted and hired by individual members of the public to represent them. A private practitioner may specialise in a particular area of law, such as criminal law or family law.

In NSW, if you have a legal problem that you need assistance with, you may be able to get help from Legal Aid NSW. It is the organisation that delivers criminal, family and civil law services to disadvantaged people across the state. Find out more about eligibility for Legal Aid here.