Whether you are pre-selecting a lawyer for your business or just in a hurry to find a lawyer for help with criminal charges, it is worth knowing the different types of law firms out there so that you can make a better choice for your needs. The legal firm itself is simply a collection of more than one lawyer ranging from small firms of about two to fifty lawyers to large firms of over two hundred lawyers.

The first type is the general practice. This is a good kind of firm for any general business because they perform the usual run of the mill services. A general practice one can help you form a business by incorporating and they can also review all contracts that you enter into. If your business happens to specialize in something like medical equipment you will need a specialty practice to handle your needs. Specialty or boutique ones have come about due to the complex nature of law in a modern litigious society. Whether it’s malpractice, personal injury, bankruptcy, drunk driving, drug crimes, corporate or criminal law you will probably need a specialty one to meet your requirements.

The large or mega ones are designed to provide the advantages of both the general and specialty practice. The large firms cost more money per hour, but this is because they have to keep so many different specialty and general practice lawyers on staff along with support staff for each one. If you require a wide array of services and you have the resources then a large office is necessary to stand toe to toe with your competitors. International law offices can also be necessary if you are involved in any export-import business. The US is limited in some ways internationally because lawyers are licensed by state and usually practice solely in that state. Most international firms reside in either England or New York, but others are based in Berlin, Paris, Toronto, Tokyo and Mumbai. As globalization of the world economy advances, there will be more and more international law firms created.

The United Kingdom has three legal systems. English law, which applies in England and Wales, and Northern Ireland law, which applies in Northern Ireland, are based on common-law principles. Scots law, which applies in Scotland, is a pluralistic system based on civil-law principles, with common law elements dating back to the High Middle Ages. The Treaty of Union, put into effect by the Acts of Union in 1707, guaranteed the continued existence of a separate law system for Scotland. The Acts of Union between Great Britain and Ireland in 1800 contained no equivalent provision but preserved the principle of separate courts to be held in Ireland, now Northern Ireland.

The Appellate Committee of the House of Lords (usually just referred to, as “The House of Lords”) is the highest court in the land for all criminal and civil cases in England and Wales and Northern Ireland, and for all civil cases in Scots law. Recent constitutional changes will see the powers of the House of Lords transfer to a new Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

In England and Wales, the court system is headed by the Supreme Court of England and Wales, consisting of the Court of Appeal, the High Court of Justice (for civil cases) and the Crown Court (for criminal cases). The Courts of Northern Ireland follow the same pattern. In Scotland the chief courts are the Court of Session, for civil cases, and the High Court of Justiciary, for criminal cases, while the sheriff court is the Scottish equivalent of the county court.

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is the highest court of appeal for several independent Commonwealth countries, the British overseas territories, and the British Crown dependencies. There are also immigration courts with UK-wide jurisdiction — the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal and Special Immigration Appeals Commission. The Employment tribunals and the Employment Appeal Tribunal have jurisdiction throughout Great Britain, but not Northern Ireland.