How much should I charge as a lawyer in Delaware ?

Did you know that lawyers in Delaware typically charge between $196 and $613 per hour, with the average being $423? 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 $196 and $613 per hour, with the average being $423. 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 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$315
Appellate$277
Bankruptcy$613
Business$380
Civil Litigation$434
Civil Rights and Constitutional LawCurrently unavailable
Collections$343
Commercial Sale of Goods$323
ConstructionCurrently unavailable
Contracts$312
Corporate$453
Criminal$196
Elder Law$405
Employment Labor$330
Family$387
GovernmentCurrently unavailable
ImmigrationCurrently unavailable
InsuranceCurrently unavailable
Intellectual Property$437
JuvenileCurrently unavailable
Mediation and Arbitration$357
Medical MalpracticeCurrently unavailable
Other$369
Personal Injury$284
Real Estate$317
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
Tax$400
Traffic OffensesCurrently unavailable
Trusts$445
Wills and EstatesCurrently unavailable
Worker's CompensationCurrently unavailable

Hourly Rates for Delaware Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $391/hour

    The average hourly rate for Delaware law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $391. The average hourly rate for Delaware lawyers is $423 and the average for non-lawyers is $201.

    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 $399/hour

    When it comes 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 $399, while the average hourly rate for Delaware lawyers is $432 and non-lawyers is $206.

    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.

Delaware'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 35%

    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 91%

    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 96%

    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%.

Delaware’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports

Lawyer Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$432$432
2023 Legal Trends Report$352$352
2022 Legal Trends Report$351$351
2021 Legal Trends Report$346$346
2020 Legal Trends Report$327$327

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$399$399
2023 Legal Trends Report$316$316
2022 Legal Trends Report$319$319
2021 Legal Trends Report$312$312
2020 Legal Trends Report$289$289

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$206$206
2023 Legal Trends Report$177$177
2022 Legal Trends Report$168$168
2021 Legal Trends Report$163$163
2020 Legal Trends Report$163$163
  • 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 Delaware?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Delaware is between $613 and $196 per hour, with the average being $423.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Delaware?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Delaware is $387 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Delaware?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Delaware is $434 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Delaware?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Delaware is $196 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Delaware?

Bankruptcy attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Delaware, earning $613 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 $196 per hour on average.