How much should I charge as a lawyer in Connecticut ?

Did you know that lawyers in Connecticut typically charge between $174 and $540 per hour, with the average being $384? 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 $174 and $540 per hour, with the average being $384. For comparison, District of Columbia has the highest average hourly rate at $462 while West Virginia has the lowest average hourly rate at $195.

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$391
Appellate$407
Bankruptcy$395
Business$384
Civil Litigation$376
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$540
Collections$312
Commercial Sale of Goods$376
Construction$345
Contracts$409
Corporate$441
Criminal$350
Elder Law$342
Employment Labor$352
Family$386
Government$174
Immigration$473
Insurance$331
Intellectual Property$401
Juvenile$363
Mediation and Arbitration$403
Medical Malpractice$466
Other$389
Personal Injury$302
Real Estate$390
Small Claims$406
Tax$355
Traffic Offenses$317
Trusts$497
Wills and Estates$367
Worker's Compensation$191

Hourly Rates for Connecticut Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $347/hour

    The average hourly rate for Connecticut law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $347. The average hourly rate for Connecticut lawyers is $384 and the average for non-lawyers is $209.

    For comparison:

    • District of Columbia has the highest law firm hourly rate at $427, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $192.
    • District of Columbia has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $462, while West Virginia has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $195.

  • Adjusted for cost of living is $327/hour

    When it comes 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 $327, while the average hourly rate for Connecticut lawyers is $361 and non-lawyers is $197.

    For comparison:

    • Delaware has the highest law firm hourly rate at $399, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $215.
    • Delaware has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $432, while Alaska has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $219.

Connecticut's Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

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.

  • Utilization rate 29%

    How many hours individual lawyers put towards revenue-generating work. The national average utilization rate was 34%.

    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 25%.

  • Realization rate 80%

    How much revenue–generating work is billed to a client after discounts or canceled fees. The national average realization rate was 87%.

    For comparison: Idaho has the highest realization rate for law firms at 95%, while West Virginia has the lowest realization rate for law firms at 74%.

  • Collection rate 93%

    How much invoiced work gets paid to a law firm. The national average collection rate was 93%.

    For comparison: District of Columbia has the highest collection rate for law firms at 96%, while West Virginia has the lowest collection rate for law firms at 86%.

Connecticut’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports

Lawyer Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$361$361
2023 Legal Trends Report$334$334
2022 Legal Trends Report$321$321
2021 Legal Trends Report$308$308
2020 Legal Trends Report$286$286

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$327$327
2023 Legal Trends Report$306$306
2022 Legal Trends Report$291$291
2021 Legal Trends Report$278$278
2020 Legal Trends Report$266$266

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$197$197
2023 Legal Trends Report$191$191
2022 Legal Trends Report$153$153
2021 Legal Trends Report$149$149
2020 Legal Trends Report$170$170
  • About Clio’s Hourly Rate Data for Lawyers (Updated 2024)

    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 $540 and $174 per hour, with the average being $384.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Connecticut?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Connecticut is $386 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Connecticut?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Connecticut is $376 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Connecticut?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Connecticut is $350 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Connecticut?

Civil Rights and Constitutional Law attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Connecticut, earning $540 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Connecticut?

Government attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Connecticut, earning $174 per hour on average.