In the event of litigation – or even out-of-court proceedings – we should also make use of the services of a solicitor.
It is relatively easy to acquire knowledge of substantive law from specialist books, the internet and neighbours. We solicitors are sometimes astonished at the level of knowledge that some clients have of the legal material relevant to their case.
At the same time, enforcing the law also requires knowledge of procedural law and judicial practice. Laypeople rarely have this knowledge. What seems clear and logical from a substantive legal point of view can be completely lost or confused due to procedural errors.