Avg Hourly Attorney Rate 2024
State | Avg Hourly Attorney Rate 2024↓ | |
---|---|---|
District of Columbia | $462 | |
Delaware | $423 | |
New York | $398 | |
California | $391 | |
Connecticut | $384 | |
Virginia | $351 | |
Illinois | $349 | |
New Jersey | $348 | |
Texas | $345 | |
Maryland | $344 | |
Georgia | $340 | |
Florida | $335 | |
Nevada | $330 | |
Washington | $322 | |
Massachusetts | $318 | |
Rhode Island | $317 | |
Hawaii | $312 | |
Minnesota | $305 | |
Colorado | $302 | |
Pennsylvania | $302 | |
Alaska | $300 | |
Oregon | $296 | |
North Carolina | $295 | |
Michigan | $294 | |
New Hampshire | $294 | |
Kansas | $292 | |
Utah | $291 | |
Wyoming | $290 | |
Arizona | $287 | |
South Carolina | $287 | |
North Dakota | $285 | |
Tennessee | $281 | |
Missouri | $280 | |
Indiana | $278 | |
Wisconsin | $278 | |
Arkansas | $271 | |
Ohio | $268 | |
Idaho | $267 | |
Vermont | $267 | |
Louisiana | $266 | |
New Mexico | $261 | |
Oklahoma | $257 | |
Nebraska | $256 | |
Iowa | $254 | |
Alabama | $246 | |
South Dakota | $245 | |
Mississippi | $242 | |
Kentucky | $236 | |
Maine | $236 | |
Montana | $234 | |
West Virginia | $195 |
Although no one wants to be in a situation where they have to consult an attorney, they are more often than not well worth the expense. From filing a claim to getting the proper and professional defense and protection you need, legal counsel is also often a necessary step.
Although attorney fees vary from state to state and according to the type of defense you need (typically a criminal defense attorney will cost more than a family law lawyer), the popularity of the attorney (well-known lawyers usually cost more), these fees do vary from state to state, based on the cost of living in each state.
On average, attorney fees range from $100 per hour to $500 per hour, but if you hire a leading criminal attorney in D.C. (which is ranked the highest average at nearly $400 per hour in 2020) you’re going to most likely pay more than if you hire an estate or family lawyer in a more rural place like Illinois or Alaska, which typically costs $100-$150 per hour.
Sometimes an attorney will charge a specific fee for a service (such as will) or will require a retainer fee, which is sometimes a guarantee that the attorney will take your case or be available on an “as-needed” basis. An attorney may also charge a contingency fee. In this case, the attorney will be paid “contingent upon” your recovery, which is usually based upon a percentage of your recovery. On average, the attorney takes ⅓ or 33% of your recovery.