Law

Jersey’s legal sector is a focal point of the financial services industry. It has on one hand lawyers working in the courtroom and on the other lawyers working in corporate and commercial law, who never step into a courtroom but who work closely with other professionals in the banking, funds and trusts sectors.

A commercial lawyer will act for businesses of all sizes with caseloads ranging from general company/commercial work (such as advising small start-up businesses), to large complex corporate transactions (such as mergers and acquisitions) and company restructuring. Most commercial lawyers specialise in particular areas of law, for example property, corporate, tax, Employment, Finance, Funds, and intellectual property.

There are two vocational legal qualifications specific to Jersey: these are advocates and solicitors. Advocates may present cases in court and solicitors can only advise on non contentious matters. Many Jersey students read law at university and gain their professional qualification in the UK before coming back to the Island to practice, which is encouraged by most of the Jersey law firms.

A solicitor’s work is interesting, challenging and rewarding. Solicitors give legal advice to all sorts of people on a wide variety of issues and a career as a solicitor offers tremendous scope and prospects for young people.

What does a Solicitor do?
There are more than 85,000 solicitors currently working in all areas of law in England and Wales providing specialist legal advice for members of the public, organizations and businesses. The training, experience and skills that solicitors develop is sought after by all kinds of employers;

Criminal solicitors help clients who have been arrested and are passing through the criminal justice system.

Solicitors are employed by businesses to oversee multi-million pound mergers and some firms of solicitors have branch offices in major financial and commercial centres throughout the world.

Solicitors may also decide to specialize in sport, media and entertainment law and could find themselves representing a famous client in their contract negotiations.
Solicitors are employed in-house by non-profit making organizations and by local and central government to advise Chief Executives, Civil Servants and Ministers on new legislation.

Solicitors may also work in private practice drafting wills, investigating compensation claims for injury victims, helping clients buy and sell property, representing them at an employment tribunal or they may advise accident victims on making compensation claims.