How much should I charge as a lawyer in Connecticut ?

Did you know that lawyers in Connecticut typically charge between $177 and $529 per hour, with the average being $342? 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 $177 and $529 per hour, with the average being $342. For comparison, District of Columbia has the highest average hourly rate at $392 while West Virginia has the lowest average hourly rate at $162.


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$422
Appellate$430
Bankruptcy$414
Business$385
Civil Litigation$409
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$466
Collections$286
Commercial Sale of Goods$330
Construction$346
Contracts$364
Corporate$504
Criminal$337
Elder Law$370
Employment Labor$328
Family$389
Government$177
Immigration$529
Insurance$314
Intellectual Property$412
Juvenile$233
Mediation and Arbitration$406
Medical MalpracticeCurrently unavailable
Other$386
Personal Injury$328
Real Estate$404
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
Tax$383
Traffic OffensesCurrently unavailable
Trusts$391
Wills and Estates$365
Worker's Compensation$377

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 $342 and the average for non-lawyers is $196.

For comparison:

  • District of Columbia has the highest law firm hourly rate at $365, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $160.
  • District of Columbia has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $392, while West Virginia has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $162.


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 $306, while the average hourly rate for Connecticut lawyers is $334 and non-lawyers is $191.

For comparison:

  • District of Columbia has the highest law firm hourly rate at $328, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $176.
  • District of Columbia has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $352, while Alabama has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $178.

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 86%.
  3. Collection rate: How much invoiced work gets paid to a law firm. The national average collection rate was 90%.

Connecticut's utilization rate

The utilization rate for Connecticut law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 29%.

For comparison:
  • Nebraska has the highest utilization rate for law firms at 43%, while Arkansas 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 77%.

For comparison:
  • Vermont has the highest realization rate for law firms at 95%, while District of Columbia has the lowest realization rate for law firms at 70%.

Connecticut's collection rate

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

For comparison:
  • Vermont has the highest collection rate for law firms at 95%, while Rhode Island has the lowest collection rate for law firms at 81%.

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
2023 Legal Trends Report$342$334
2022 Legal Trends Report$350$321
2021 Legal Trends Report$335$308
2020 Legal Trends Report$311$286
2019 Legal Trends Report$321$295

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2023 Legal Trends Report$314$306
2022 Legal Trends Report$314$291
2021 Legal Trends Report$301$278
2020 Legal Trends Report$290$266
2019 Legal Trends Report$304$280

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2023 Legal Trends Report$196$191
2022 Legal Trends Report$167$153
2021 Legal Trends Report$162$149
2020 Legal Trends Report$185$170
2019 Legal Trends Report$202$185
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 $529 and $177 per hour, with the average being $342.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Connecticut?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Connecticut is $389 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Connecticut?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Connecticut is $409 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Connecticut?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Connecticut is $337 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Connecticut?

Immigration attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Connecticut, earning $529 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 $177 per hour on average.