A solicitor is a type of lawyer in many common law jurisictions, such as the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Republic of Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada; it is also a title used by government attorneys in some government agencies in the United States. In some common law countries the legal profession is split between solicitors who represent and advise clients, and a barrister who is retained by a solicitor to advocate in a legal hearing or to render a legal opinion. There is no such split in Canada, some Australian jurisdictions, New Zealand, and the United States.