We have undertaken a theoretical study on the structure of planar soli
tons in nematic and smectic liquid crystals. In nematics we find a sol
iton solution which can be looked upon as an intertwine between two so
litons. In a nematic obtained by unwinding a cholesteric and in a nema
tic with very high dielectric anisotropy, we have worked out energetic
s of solitons. A 2 pi soliton in a ferronematic or a smectic C becomes
unstable due to the splay bend elastic anisotropy. The structures of
pi solitons in smectic A and smectic C in the neighbourhood of a S-A-S
-C phase transition have also been studied.