How much should I charge as a lawyer in Arkansas ?

Did you know that lawyers in Arkansas typically charge between $139 and $391 per hour, with the average being $248? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Arkansas 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 Arkansas, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Arkansas.

Hourly rates in Arkansas

Lawyers in Arkansas typically charge between $139 and $391 per hour, with the average being $248. 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 Arkansas by practice area

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


Practice Area Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$286
Appellate$232
Bankruptcy$246
Business$280
Civil Litigation$264
Civil Rights | Constitutional LawCurrently unavailable
Collections$226
Commercial | Sale of Goods$220
Construction$284
Contracts$262
Corporate$290
Criminal$247
Elder Law$204
Employment | Labor$265
Family$254
Government$219
Immigration$195
Insurance$178
Intellectual Property$391
Juvenile$238
Mediation | Arbitration$264
Medical Malpractice$250
Other$237
Personal Injury$264
Real Estate$230
Small Claims$250
Tax$262
Traffic Offenses$283
Trusts$260
Wills & Estates$274
Worker's Compensation$139

Arkansas's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for Arkansas law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $233. The average hourly rate for Arkansas lawyers is $248 and the average for non-lawyers is $140.

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.


Arkansas'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 Arkansas law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $267, while the average hourly rate for Arkansas lawyers is $284 and non-lawyers is $160.

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.

Arkansas'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%.

Arkansas's utilization rate

The utilization rate for Arkansas law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 27%.

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%.

Arkansas's realization rate

The realization rate for Arkansas law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 86%.

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%.

Arkansas's collection rate

The collection rate for Arkansas 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%.

Arkansas’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$248$284
2021 Legal Trends Report$251$287
2020 Legal Trends Report$238$272
2019 Legal Trends Report$234$268
2018 Legal Trends Report$226$259

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2022 Legal Trends Report$233$267
2021 Legal Trends Report$235$269
2020 Legal Trends Report$220$252
2019 Legal Trends Report$219$250
2018 Legal Trends Report$213$243

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2022 Legal Trends Report$140$160
2021 Legal Trends Report$131$150
2020 Legal Trends Report$120$137
2019 Legal Trends Report$121$138
2018 Legal Trends Report$131$150
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 Arkansas?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Arkansas is between $391 and $139 per hour, with the average being $248.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Arkansas?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Arkansas is $254 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Arkansas?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Arkansas is $264 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Arkansas?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Arkansas is $247 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Arkansas?

Intellectual Property attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Arkansas, earning $391 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Arkansas?

Worker's Compensation attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Arkansas, earning $139 per hour on average.