Re: difference between a lawyer, solicitor, barrister and notary

"McGyver" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]: 

> "john kennedy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> I've never been able to expain the differnce between the above
>> mentioned. Csn anyone clarify.
>> Thanks
> 
> In the U.S. a lawyer or attorney is a person licensed to practice law. 
> In the UK, the profession is devided into two categories: barristers
> handle all matters requiring court appearances and solicitors handle
> everything else. 
> 
> In the U.S. a notary public is a person licensed by the state to
> notarize things.  Primarilly, that means administering acknowledgements
> and jurats. A jurat is a signed statement saying that the document
> containing the jurat is true.  A person in front of a notary public
> swears that the written statement is true, and signs it.   An
> acknowledgement is a statement of proof that the person signing a
> document really is the person whose name appears in connection with the
> signature.  A person in front of a notary public states that the
> signature on a document is that person's signature. In both cases the
> notary makes sure the person is properly identified, and adds a seal
> and signature to the document.  In other countries, a Norary, or 
> Norario Publico, has greater authority. 
> 
> McGyver
> 
> 
> 

I don't think the division between barristers and solicitors is quite as 
clear cut as Mr McGyver thinks. Solicitors in England can and do try 
cases, but cannot try cases in the High Court, and barristers must be 
instructed by a solicitor, although it is now possible to qualify 
separately as both a barrister and a solicitor. I don't think the same 
person can be both in the same case, though, LOL! 

In some other countries, OTOH,  'barrister and solicitor' is now a 
combined qualification.

Also, I think that in England you have to first be a solicitor to become a 
notary, whereas in the US almost anyone can qualify as one without any 
special qualifications. Ironically, notaries are still needed to stamp  
many documents in the US, whereas in England they are not. I think there 
was talk of abolishing notaries in England?

IANAL