Briefly discuss advantages and disadvantages of using ‘lawyers’ (solicitors and barristers) to resolve legal disputes.

Lawyers are frequently available, and in most areas of the country.  They are generally specialists in specific areas of law, which is needed in a system as complex as the legal system, and know relevant the procedures and routes to deal with a dispute.  Their involvement may bring an early resolution to a dispute, using methods such as settlement.  The separation between solicitors and barristers means that there is dedicated expertise in each area.  Both have very specific knowledge of the pathways they must go into.  Barristers are exceedingly eloquent and used to presenting cases before judges, whilst solicitors are very good at gathering information to build a case upon, meaning that the quality of a case presented will be a lot higher than without lawyers.

However there are many disadvantages.  Whilst there is some legal aid, often the cost of lawyers is such that many cannot afford their help, especially if a case has to go to the higher courts.  There is often significant delay, considering the quantity of cases going through the system and subsequent backlog that arises.  This leads to lawyers often not being available to take on new cases.  Finally, the legal jargon is often inaccessible to the public, making it a highly impersonal system and difficult to deal with as a lay person who may have wanted to deal with his case himself.