How much should I charge as a lawyer in Delaware ?

Did you know that lawyers in Delaware typically charge between $224 and $620 per hour, with the average being $344? 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 $224 and $620 per hour, with the average being $344. 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 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$437
Appellate$313
Bankruptcy$620
Business$343
Civil Litigation$448
Civil Rights and Constitutional LawCurrently unavailable
Collections$258
Commercial Sale of Goods$293
ConstructionCurrently unavailable
Contracts$292
Corporate$535
Criminal$224
Elder LawCurrently unavailable
Employment Labor$361
Family$387
GovernmentCurrently unavailable
ImmigrationCurrently unavailable
InsuranceCurrently unavailable
Intellectual Property$450
JuvenileCurrently unavailable
Mediation and Arbitration$350
Medical MalpracticeCurrently unavailable
Other$350
Personal Injury$279
Real Estate$298
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
TaxCurrently unavailable
Traffic OffensesCurrently unavailable
Trusts$366
Wills and EstatesCurrently unavailable
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 $308. The average hourly rate for Delaware lawyers is $344 and the average for non-lawyers is $173.

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.


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 $316, while the average hourly rate for Delaware lawyers is $352 and non-lawyers is $177.

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.

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

Delaware's utilization rate

The utilization rate for Delaware law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 33%.

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%.

Delaware's realization rate

The realization rate for Delaware law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 88%.

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%.

Delaware's collection rate

The collection rate for Delaware law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 93%.

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%.

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
2023 Legal Trends Report$344$352
2022 Legal Trends Report$358$351
2021 Legal Trends Report$353$346
2020 Legal Trends Report$333$327
2019 Legal Trends Report$309$303

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2023 Legal Trends Report$308$316
2022 Legal Trends Report$323$319
2021 Legal Trends Report$315$312
2020 Legal Trends Report$291$289
2019 Legal Trends Report$272$267

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2023 Legal Trends Report$173$177
2022 Legal Trends Report$172$168
2021 Legal Trends Report$166$163
2020 Legal Trends Report$166$163
2019 Legal Trends Report$170$166
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 $620 and $224 per hour, with the average being $344.

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 $448 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Delaware?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Delaware is $224 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Delaware?

Bankruptcy attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Delaware, earning $620 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 $224 per hour on average.