How much should I charge as a lawyer in Colorado ?

Did you know that lawyers in Colorado typically charge between $151 and $489 per hour, with the average being $271? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Colorado 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 Colorado, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Colorado.

Hourly rates in Colorado

Lawyers in Colorado typically charge between $151 and $489 per hour, with the average being $271. 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 Colorado by practice area

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


Practice Area Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$284
Appellate$223
Bankruptcy$345
Business$339
Civil Litigation$301
Civil Rights | Constitutional Law$489
Collections$289
Commercial | Sale of Goods$359
Construction$239
Contracts$245
Corporate$385
Criminal$238
Elder Law$151
Employment | Labor$328
Family$283
Government$255
Immigration$259
Insurance$180
Intellectual Property$379
Juvenile$267
Mediation | Arbitration$351
Medical Malpractice$240
Other$244
Personal Injury$239
Real Estate$335
Small Claims$215
Tax$380
Traffic Offenses$431
Trusts$337
Wills & Estates$325
Worker's Compensation$282

Colorado's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for Colorado law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $244. The average hourly rate for Colorado lawyers is $271 and the average for non-lawyers is $143.

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.


Colorado'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 Colorado law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $239, while the average hourly rate for Colorado lawyers is $265 and non-lawyers is $140.

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.

Colorado'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%.

Colorado's utilization rate

The utilization rate for Colorado law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 37%.

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%.

Colorado's realization rate

The realization rate for Colorado law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 93%.

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%.

Colorado's collection rate

The collection rate for Colorado law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 91%.

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%.

Colorado’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$271$265
2021 Legal Trends Report$267$261
2020 Legal Trends Report$258$253
2019 Legal Trends Report$254$249
2018 Legal Trends Report$247$242

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2022 Legal Trends Report$244$239
2021 Legal Trends Report$242$237
2020 Legal Trends Report$235$230
2019 Legal Trends Report$229$225
2018 Legal Trends Report$225$221

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2022 Legal Trends Report$143$140
2021 Legal Trends Report$138$136
2020 Legal Trends Report$136$134
2019 Legal Trends Report$133$130
2018 Legal Trends Report$136$134
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 Colorado?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Colorado is between $489 and $151 per hour, with the average being $271.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Colorado?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Colorado is $283 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Colorado?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Colorado is $301 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Colorado?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Colorado is $238 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Colorado?

Civil Rights | Constitutional Law attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Colorado, earning $489 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Colorado?

Elder Law attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Colorado, earning $151 per hour on average.