All About the Profession of Lawyers or Advocates

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This content is for educational purposes only. Licensing regulations are subject to change at any time. For specific legal needs regarding your business, consult with the vOffice legal team.

Article reviewed by:

Picture of Otty Yuniarti Yusariningsih, S.H. - Legal Consultant at vOffice Group
Otty Yuniarti Yusariningsih, S.H. - Legal Consultant at vOffice Group

Over 10 years of experience in corporate law, business licensing, and copyright law. Has assisted hundreds of clients in the process of establishing PTs, CVs, and other business entities, as well as in obtaining OSS permits, SIUPs, and business licenses in Indonesia.

Picture of Otty Yuniarti Yusariningsih, S.H.
Otty Yuniarti Yusariningsih, S.H.

Legal Consultant at vOffice Group

“Want to know complete information about the profession of lawyers, advocates, or lawyers? Check out the following review.

Talking about the profession of lawyers, advocates, or lawyers, basically, both parties provide legal services. However, initially, these two terms had differences in terms of their practice locations.

Based on the Decree of the Minister of Justice, a lawyer is allowed to provide legal services in court and can practice throughout Indonesia. Meanwhile, the practice permit for a lawyer is only granted by the local court. In other words, the scope of practice for a lawyer is more limited than that of an advocate.

If a lawyer wants to practice outside the area of their practice permit, they need to request permission from the court where they intend to provide legal services.

Since the issuance of Law No. 18 of 2009 concerning Advocates, there is now no difference between advocates and lawyers. According to Article 1 paragraph (1) of the Advocate Law, anyone who professionally provides legal services inside or outside the court throughout the Republic of Indonesia is called an Advocate, including lawyers.

How Do Lawyers Work?

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Although information about the profession of lawyers, advocates, or lawyers is commonly heard, many still do not fully understand how lawyers work. The prevailing misconception in society is that the duty of a lawyer is to free clients from legal charges. This perception is not accurate.

According to the Secretary-General of the national leadership of the Indonesian Advocates Association (PERADI), the task of a lawyer is to provide legal assistance so that a client can obtain their rights during the legal process.

In practice, a lawyer is free to make statements or express opinions while defending a client in court, as long as they adhere to professional ethics and legal regulations.

Moreover, every lawyer also has the obligation to keep all information from their clients confidential, except as otherwise provided by the law. Additionally, lawyers are prohibited from discriminating against their clients based on religion, politics, gender, race, or social and cultural backgrounds.

Requirements to Become a Lawyer

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Referring to Article 2 paragraph (1) of the Advocate Law, someone can become a lawyer if they have a background in higher legal education. In addition, they must attend specialized advocate professional education organized by the Indonesian Advocates Association (PERADI).

After completing specialized advocate professional education, you need to take an exam and undergo an internship at a law office for approximately 2 consecutive years. If declared successful, before carrying out duties as a lawyer, you will take an oath at the High Court according to your domicile.

4 Qualities of a Great Lawyer

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A great lawyer is not only judged by how well they master the theories and applicable laws but also needs to possess the following 4 qualities:

  1. Persuasive Skills: In resolving cases in court, a lawyer must have good persuasive skills to convince the court about the client’s position.

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  1. Negotiation Skills: The second quality that a lawyer needs is negotiation skills. This bargaining skill is useful for achieving a good agreement among the parties involved.
  2. Emotional Control: Not every trial goes smoothly. There are times when a lawyer is confronted with arguments or threats that often affect their emotions. Therefore, a great lawyer is someone who can control their emotions well.
  3. Patience: Lastly, a lawyer also needs to cultivate patience as some cases usually take months before they are finally concluded.

In conclusion, this is a brief overview of the profession of lawyers, advocates, or lawyers. In addition to requiring the above 4 skills, a professional lawyer is usually supported by complete business facilities to optimize their performance.

Renting a building as a practice location is one of the things that needs to be prepared for a new lawyer. Unfortunately, renting office buildings sometimes requires a considerable cost.

Therefore, the virtual office service is now available, allowing you to have a business office at an affordable rental price. Interestingly, the rental price of a virtual office generally includes operational facilities, electricity costs, and cleaning services. With this, you can save on monthly expenses.

For those interested in using a virtual office, vOffice could be the solution. Check our page for complete information on the benefits of renting virtual office.

About the Accuracy of This Article

This article was compiled by the vOffice editorial team and has undergone a review process to ensure the information is relevant and accurate for business owners in Indonesia.

All information is based on applicable regulations governing the establishment and management of business entities, including provisions from the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, the OSS system, copyright regulations, and other relevant regulations. Business regulations are subject to change at any time. We recommend that readers verify the information or consult with a professional before making business decisions.

This article is published solely for educational purposes and does not constitute professional business advice.

vOffice has assisted more than 50,000 Indonesian entrepreneurs in handling company establishment, business licensing, and various other business legal needs.