Lawyers vs. Attorneys

With the Americanization of much of Canadian culture, the term “attorney” has become synonymous with the term “lawyer” here. However, “attorney” in Canada does not in fact mean “lawyer”; instead, it means agent. If you have an attorney acting for you, such as under a Power of Attorney, this means that you have arranged for an agent to act on your behalf. If you are naming someone as an attorney, you are not (necessarily) hiring a lawyer; you are arranging for the person who will represent you when you can’t represent yourself. If you want to hire someone who has a law degree in Canada, you will be looking for a lawyer.