How much should I charge as a lawyer in Connecticut ?

Did you know that lawyers in Connecticut typically charge between $78 and $481 per hour, with the average being $350? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Connecticut 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 Connecticut, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Connecticut.

Hourly rates in Connecticut

Lawyers in Connecticut typically charge between $78 and $481 per hour, with the average being $350. 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 Connecticut by practice area

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


Practice Area Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$360
Appellate$361
Bankruptcy$375
Business$381
Civil Litigation$414
Civil Rights | Constitutional Law$412
Collections$285
Commercial | Sale of Goods$368
Construction$384
Contracts$445
Corporate$481
Criminal$331
Elder Law$313
Employment | Labor$395
Family$367
Government$173
Immigration$474
Insurance$307
Intellectual Property$369
Juvenile$78
Mediation | Arbitration$381
Medical Malpractice$453
Other$397
Personal Injury$311
Real Estate$378
Small Claims$345
Tax$376
Traffic Offenses$350
Trusts$466
Wills & Estates$329
Worker's Compensation$280

Connecticut's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for Connecticut law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $314. The average hourly rate for Connecticut lawyers is $350 and the average for non-lawyers is $167.

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.


Connecticut'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 Connecticut law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $291, while the average hourly rate for Connecticut lawyers is $321 and non-lawyers is $153.

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.

Connecticut'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%.

Connecticut's utilization rate

The utilization rate for Connecticut law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 30%.

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%.

Connecticut's realization rate

The realization rate for Connecticut 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%.

Connecticut's collection rate

The collection rate for Connecticut 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%.

Connecticut’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$350$321
2021 Legal Trends Report$335$308
2020 Legal Trends Report$311$286
2019 Legal Trends Report$321$295
2018 Legal Trends Report$317$291

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2022 Legal Trends Report$314$291
2021 Legal Trends Report$301$278
2020 Legal Trends Report$290$266
2019 Legal Trends Report$304$280
2018 Legal Trends Report$306$281

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2022 Legal Trends Report$167$153
2021 Legal Trends Report$162$149
2020 Legal Trends Report$185$170
2019 Legal Trends Report$202$185
2018 Legal Trends Report$227$209
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 Connecticut?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Connecticut is between $481 and $78 per hour, with the average being $350.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Connecticut?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Connecticut is $367 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Connecticut?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Connecticut is $414 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Connecticut?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Connecticut is $331 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Connecticut?

Corporate attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Connecticut, earning $481 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Connecticut?

Juvenile attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Connecticut, earning $78 per hour on average.