How much should I charge as a lawyer in Delaware ?

Did you know that lawyers in Delaware typically charge between $170 and $692 per hour, with the average being $358? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Delaware 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 Delaware, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Delaware.

Hourly rates in Delaware

Lawyers in Delaware typically charge between $170 and $692 per hour, with the average being $358. 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 Delaware by practice area

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


Practice Area Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$351
Appellate$286
Bankruptcy$552
Business$358
Civil Litigation$429
Civil Rights | Constitutional Law$500
Collections$282
Commercial | Sale of Goods$243
ConstructionCurrently unavailable
Contracts$275
Corporate$408
Criminal$170
Elder Law$347
Employment | Labor$229
Family$376
GovernmentCurrently unavailable
ImmigrationCurrently unavailable
InsuranceCurrently unavailable
Intellectual Property$426
JuvenileCurrently unavailable
Mediation | Arbitration$307
Medical Malpractice$692
Other$320
Personal Injury$199
Real Estate$304
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
Tax$260
Traffic OffensesCurrently unavailable
Trusts$385
Wills & Estates$512
Worker's CompensationCurrently unavailable

Delaware's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for Delaware law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $323. The average hourly rate for Delaware lawyers is $358 and the average for non-lawyers is $172.

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.


Delaware'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 Delaware law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $319, while the average hourly rate for Delaware lawyers is $351 and non-lawyers is $168.

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.

Delaware'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%.

Delaware's utilization rate

The utilization rate for Delaware law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 38%.

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%.

Delaware's realization rate

The realization rate for Delaware law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 84%.

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%.

Delaware's collection rate

The collection rate for Delaware 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%.

Delaware’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$358$351
2021 Legal Trends Report$353$346
2020 Legal Trends Report$333$327
2019 Legal Trends Report$309$303
2018 Legal Trends Report$271$266

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2022 Legal Trends Report$323$319
2021 Legal Trends Report$315$312
2020 Legal Trends Report$291$289
2019 Legal Trends Report$272$267
2018 Legal Trends Report$242$238

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2022 Legal Trends Report$172$168
2021 Legal Trends Report$166$163
2020 Legal Trends Report$166$163
2019 Legal Trends Report$170$166
2018 Legal Trends Report$161$158
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 Delaware?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Delaware is between $692 and $170 per hour, with the average being $358.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Delaware?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Delaware is $376 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Delaware?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Delaware is $429 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Delaware?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Delaware is $170 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Delaware?

Medical Malpractice attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Delaware, earning $692 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Delaware?

Criminal attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Delaware, earning $170 per hour on average.