Attorney vs. Lawyer: What’s the Real Difference? – Guest Post

Here is something new but silly I learned the other day.

I was on the phone with a lawyer friend, and he was sharing stories on how stressful work has been for him lately.

“There is this new attorney that joined the team. Super, Rude!” he exclaimed. I stopped him right there and questioned.

“Attorneys? Is that another fancy word for lawyers?” I looked dumb.

“No, silly. Attorneys and Lawyers are different,” and then he explained.

Attorney vs. Lawyer – Who Are They?

A lawyer is an expert trained and educated in law. They attended a law school and earned their degree there, but they may not necessarily have taken the bar exam.

Attorneys, on the other hand, have sat for the bar exam, making them eligible to practice and work in court. As such, lawyers are limited to providing legal counseling.

Difference in Responsibilities

The tiniest thing can make a big difference and that is the story between a lawyer and an attorney.

Attorneys can show up to court, all suited up, and represent clients, but apparently Lawyers cannot. Because of this privilege, they have to follow ethical standards, handle cases with honesty, and avoid any conflict of interest. Meanwhile, lawyers have no such restrictions.

Lastly, to be a certified, legit attorney, one must pass the bar exam or else legal actions could be taken.

So basically, attorneys are licensed lawyers!

Different Service Charges

Another extra detail he shared was about the fees they take and why the difference. I didn’t realize how complex even the legal stuff can be.

We all understand that work experience matters but the fact that the type of legal issue and where the expert is situated apparently matters too. Can you believe that!

Attorneys play like this. If they win your cases then only do they charge you. But apparently there are some attorneys who charge hourly! That is expensive!

Obviously, charges differ with the type of lawyer you hire, unlike attorneys, Lawyers can only give you Legal advice. However, hiring a lawyer has a similar process.

To make your hiring process easier, I have searched up Legal process outsourcing and believe me, whether you are hiring a lawyer or attorney, they help you out based on your needs.

Best part! You only pay for the services you need. No extra charges!

All in all, always make sure you stand clear on what your budget stands when hiring an attorney.

Bar Exams Will Be The Death of Me

Apparently, becoming an attorney isn’t as easy as it seems.

In California, 3,944 examinees sat for the February 2024 Bar Exam but only 34% passed the exam. According to statistics and Juris Education, the California Bar exam is considered to be the most difficult test when compared the other states. On the contrary, Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa, Montana, and Northern Mariana Islands is said to hold the easiest bar exams.

Hold On!

Keep in mind, the bar exam is a high-level test and is not easy in any state. The states mentioned to be the easiest are simply considered to be less challenging that others in the US.

One intriguing fact about Bar exams is the above stats have been determined using not only the pass rates but also based on the difficulty of the exam which is calculated by its length, subject matter, and popular opinion.

Personally, I am terrified of tests, so going through my finals during college was detrimental for my heart.

But a Bar exam! Sounds like my worst nightmare come true! If you are good with challenges and determined to have a career as an attorney, go for it. Don’t chicken out like me.

Fun Fact!

The word lawyer comes from the Old French word “Laier” which means “to read law”. I guess that is how you figure out that it means to be educated in law.

While attorney is from the latin word “attornatus” which means “one appointed”. Here, the message I take in is that he is someone who can be appointed to transact business on another’s behalf.

Another really interesting fact is that there are a good number of celebrities who attended law school. And they say lawyers aren’t dramatic.

Till Next Time

My friend literally freaked at the end of the conversation and that was pretty much it. I have yet to learn more on Legal process outsourcing and their benefits and how to hire them but seems like Expert Legal Outsourcing has quite the informative blogs.

I later texted the guy to hang out sometime as my interest on the topic was left unsatisfied.