How much should I charge as a lawyer in Indiana ?

Did you know that lawyers in Indiana typically charge between $161 and $475 per hour, with the average being $251? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Indiana 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 Indiana, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Indiana.

Hourly rates in Indiana

Lawyers in Indiana typically charge between $161 and $475 per hour, with the average being $251. 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 Indiana by practice area

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


Practice Area Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$263
Appellate$188
Bankruptcy$300
Business$321
Civil Litigation$243
Civil Rights | Constitutional Law$375
Collections$341
Commercial | Sale of Goods$281
Construction$269
Contracts$247
Corporate$286
Criminal$187
Elder Law$270
Employment | Labor$345
Family$258
Government$229
Immigration$475
Insurance$176
Intellectual Property$346
Juvenile$164
Mediation | Arbitration$197
Medical Malpractice$225
Other$239
Personal Injury$259
Real Estate$284
Small Claims$226
Tax$428
Traffic Offenses$243
Trusts$285
Wills & Estates$286
Worker's Compensation$161

Indiana's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for Indiana law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $233. The average hourly rate for Indiana lawyers is $251 and the average for non-lawyers is $134.

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.


Indiana'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 Indiana law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $255, while the average hourly rate for Indiana lawyers is $275 and non-lawyers is $146.

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.

Indiana'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%.

Indiana's utilization rate

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

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%.

Indiana's realization rate

The realization rate for Indiana law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 75%.

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%.

Indiana's collection rate

The collection rate for Indiana law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 89%.

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%.

Indiana’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$251$275
2021 Legal Trends Report$239$261
2020 Legal Trends Report$233$255
2019 Legal Trends Report$226$248
2018 Legal Trends Report$220$241

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2022 Legal Trends Report$233$255
2021 Legal Trends Report$223$244
2020 Legal Trends Report$218$238
2019 Legal Trends Report$212$232
2018 Legal Trends Report$206$225

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2022 Legal Trends Report$134$146
2021 Legal Trends Report$131$143
2020 Legal Trends Report$129$141
2019 Legal Trends Report$125$136
2018 Legal Trends Report$122$133
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 Indiana?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Indiana is between $475 and $161 per hour, with the average being $251.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Indiana?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Indiana is $258 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Indiana?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Indiana is $243 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Indiana?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Indiana is $187 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Indiana?

Immigration attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Indiana, earning $475 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Indiana?

Worker's Compensation attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Indiana, earning $161 per hour on average.