Sorry LaurieMar - no personal slight intended! But my experience has been gained over many years first in Britain and then here.

My brother was once represented in England in a criminal matter by a major firm of solicitors and a leading QC. Their joint performance was so mechanistic and inadequate that he ended up suing them - even though suing a lawyer, in Britain at any rate, is an almost impossible task. He had to retain a Scottish team to do it as he couldn't find anyone in England who would take it on.

The result was a very large settlement out of court from each party, with the firm of solicitors admonished by the Law Society (their professional body) and the barrister disbarred. But that took six years and most people couldn't have carried it on (the legal fees alone were over $150k). But he had to do it as proving his innocence on the (minor) criminal matter was critical to his work, and the two went together. He and I are now pretty cynical about the law profession.

As to the wig worn by my contact, I imagine he does when he's in the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeal. I don't think they're required elsewhere.