How much should I charge as a lawyer in Alabama ?

Did you know that lawyers in Alabama typically charge between $109 and $563 per hour, with the average being $211? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Alabama can provide valuable insight into how competitive your rates are and help you make strategic decisions regarding your billing rate.

Below, we’ve included further information on the average hourly rates in Alabama, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Alabama.

Hourly rates in Alabama

Lawyers in Alabama typically charge between $109 and $563 per hour, with the average being $211. For comparison, District of Columbia has the highest average hourly rate at $424 while West Virginia has the lowest average hourly rate at $168.

Hourly rates in Alabama by practice area

Average hourly rates in Alabama vary by practice area. The table below includes the average hourly rate for attorneys in different practice areas.


Practice Area Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$213
Appellate$183
Bankruptcy$273
Business$294
Civil Litigation$237
Civil Rights | Constitutional Law$199
Collections$228
Commercial | Sale of Goods$276
Construction$328
Contracts$311
Corporate$290
Criminal$109
Elder Law$360
Employment | Labor$296
Family$224
Government$200
Immigration$563
Insurance$174
Intellectual Property$321
Juvenile$111
Mediation | Arbitration$283
Medical Malpractice$200
Other$207
Personal Injury$265
Real Estate$261
Small Claims$325
Tax$271
Traffic Offenses$217
Trusts$312
Wills & Estates$258
Worker's Compensation$160

Alabama's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for Alabama law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $196. The average hourly rate for Alabama lawyers is $211 and the average for non-lawyers is $108.

For comparison:

  • District of Columbia has the highest law firm hourly rate at $384, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $163.
  • District of Columbia has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $424, while West Virginia has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $168.


Alabama's hourly rates adjusted for cost of living

When it come to adjusted rates by state (rates reflecting the cost of living in each state), the average hourly rate for Alabama law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $223, while the average hourly rate for Alabama lawyers is $240 and non-lawyers is $123.

For comparison:
  • District of Columbia has the highest law firm hourly rate at $330, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $183.
  • District of Columbia has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $359, while Alabama has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $189.

Note: Industry-wide data suggests the average lawyer could increase rates by an additional 3% to keep up with recent changes in the consumer price index (CPI) relative to 2019.

Alabama's utilization, realization, and collection rates

Key performance indicators (KPIs) offer valuable insights into a firm’s performance. This information helps lawyers understand how they and their employees are contributing to revenue generation, and can be instrumental in identifying areas for continuous improvement.

Lawyers should be familiar with the following KPIs:

  1. Utilization rate: How many hours individual lawyers put towards revenue-generating work. The national average utilization rate was 33%.
  2. Realization rate: How much revenue–generating work is billed to a client after discounts or canceled fees. The national average realization rate was 85%.
  3. Collection rate: How much invoiced work gets paid to a law firm. The national average collection rate was 89%.

Alabama's utilization rate

The utilization rate for Alabama law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 35%.

For comparison:
  • Nebraska has the highest utilization rate for law firms at 42%, while New Hampshire has the lowest utilization rate for law firms at 26%.

Alabama's realization rate

The realization rate for Alabama law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 83%.

For comparison:
  • Idaho has the highest realization rate for law firms at 94%, while District of Columbia has the lowest realization rate for law firms at 66%.

Alabama's collection rate

The collection rate for Alabama law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 88%.

For comparison:
  • Minnesota has the highest collection rate for law firms at 92%, while Illinois has the lowest collection rate for law firms at 85%.

Alabama’s hourly rates over the last five reports

Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Lawyers
2022 Legal Trends Report$211$240
2021 Legal Trends Report$206$235
2020 Legal Trends Report$195$222
2019 Legal Trends Report$198$225
2018 Legal Trends Report$197$224

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2022 Legal Trends Report$196$223
2021 Legal Trends Report$194$221
2020 Legal Trends Report$186$211
2019 Legal Trends Report$188$214
2018 Legal Trends Report$185$211

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2022 Legal Trends Report$108$123
2021 Legal Trends Report$105$120
2020 Legal Trends Report$103$118
2019 Legal Trends Report$110$126
2018 Legal Trends Report$111$126
Legal Trends Report

About Clio’s Hourly Rate Data for Lawyers (Updated 2023)

Clio's Hourly Rate Data is based on aggregated and anonymized data from tens of thousands of legal professionals using Clio. Each year, this data is analyzed and published within the Legal Trends Report, which provides ongoing, in-depth research into the most pressing issues faced by legal professionals.

Read the Legal Trends Report

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the hourly rate of a lawyer in Alabama?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Alabama is between $563 and $109 per hour, with the average being $211.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Alabama?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Alabama is $224 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Alabama?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Alabama is $237 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Alabama?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Alabama is $109 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Alabama?

Immigration attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Alabama, earning $563 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Alabama?

Criminal attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Alabama, earning $109 per hour on average.