How much should I charge as a lawyer in Georgia ?

Did you know that lawyers in Georgia typically charge between $118 and $481 per hour, with the average being $363? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Georgia 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 Georgia, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Georgia.

Hourly rates in Georgia

Lawyers in Georgia typically charge between $118 and $481 per hour, with the average being $363. For comparison, District of Columbia has the highest average hourly rate at $490 while West Virginia has the lowest average hourly rate at $196.

Hourly rates in Georgia by practice area

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


Practice Area
Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$299
Appellate$462
Bankruptcy$396
Business$383
Civil Litigation$365
Civil Rights and Constitutional LawCurrently unavailable
Collections$361
Commercial Sale of Goods$333
Construction$355
Contracts$383
Corporate$427
Criminal$220
Elder Law$353
Employment Labor$429
Family$360
Government$212
Immigration$417
Insurance$234
Intellectual Property$438
Juvenile$118
Mediation and Arbitration$481
Medical Malpractice$249
Other$341
Personal Injury$361
Real Estate$404
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
Tax$369
Traffic Offenses$200
Trusts$284
Wills and Estates$381
Worker's Compensation$200

Hourly Rates for Georgia Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $321/hour

    The average hourly rate for Georgia law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $321. The average hourly rate for Georgia lawyers is $363 and the average for non-lawyers is $205.

    For comparison:

    • District of Columbia has the highest law firm hourly rate at $454, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $185.
    • District of Columbia has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $490, while West Virginia has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $196.

  • Adjusted for cost of living is $332/hour

    When it comes to adjusted rates by state (rates reflecting the cost of living in each state), the average hourly rate for Georgia law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $332, while the average hourly rate for Georgia lawyers is $376 and non-lawyers is $212.

    For comparison:

    • Delaware has the highest law firm hourly rate at $421, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $206.
    • Delaware has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $475, while Alaska has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $218.

Georgia'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 37%.

    For comparison: Nebraska has the highest utilization rate for law firms at 46%, while Arkansas has the lowest utilization rate for law firms at 29%.

  • Realization rate 81%

    How much revenue–generating work is billed to a client after discounts or canceled fees. The national average realization rate was 86%.

    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 91%

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

    For comparison: Delaware has the highest collection rate for law firms at 97%, while Arkansas has the lowest collection rate for law firms at 87%.

Georgia’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports

Lawyer Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2025 Legal Trends Report$363$376
2024 Legal Trends Report$340$355
2023 Legal Trends Report$286$299
2022 Legal Trends Report$288$313
2021 Legal Trends Report$275$299

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2025 Legal Trends Report$321$332
2024 Legal Trends Report$315$328
2023 Legal Trends Report$262$274
2022 Legal Trends Report$266$289
2021 Legal Trends Report$256$279

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2025 Legal Trends Report$205$212
2024 Legal Trends Report$193$202
2023 Legal Trends Report$154$161
2022 Legal Trends Report$158$172
2021 Legal Trends Report$154$167
  • About Clio’s Hourly Rate Data for Lawyers (Updated 2025)

    Clio's Hourly Rate Data is based on aggregated and anonymized data from tens of thousands of legal professionals. 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 Georgia?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Georgia is between $481 and $118 per hour, with the average being $363.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Georgia?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Georgia is $360 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Georgia?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Georgia is $365 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Georgia?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Georgia is $220 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Georgia?

Mediation and Arbitration attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Georgia, earning $481 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Georgia?

Juvenile attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Georgia, earning $118 per hour on average.