How much should I charge as a lawyer in Kentucky ?

Did you know that lawyers in Kentucky typically charge between $85 and $380 per hour, with the average being $216? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Kentucky 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 Kentucky, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Kentucky.

Hourly rates in Kentucky

Lawyers in Kentucky typically charge between $85 and $380 per hour, with the average being $216. 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 Kentucky by practice area

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


Practice Area Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$246
Appellate$326
Bankruptcy$313
Business$266
Civil Litigation$222
Civil Rights | Constitutional Law$248
Collections$85
Commercial | Sale of Goods$239
Construction$367
Contracts$316
Corporate$265
Criminal$178
Elder Law$222
Employment | Labor$236
Family$225
Government$241
Immigration$380
Insurance$159
Intellectual Property$316
Juvenile$185
Mediation | Arbitration$220
Medical MalpracticeCurrently unavailable
Other$184
Personal Injury$264
Real Estate$239
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
Tax$249
Traffic Offenses$331
Trusts$288
Wills & Estates$235
Worker's Compensation$139

Kentucky's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for Kentucky law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $204. The average hourly rate for Kentucky lawyers is $216 and the average for non-lawyers is $133.

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.


Kentucky'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 Kentucky law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $230, while the average hourly rate for Kentucky lawyers is $244 and non-lawyers is $150.

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.

Kentucky'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%.

Kentucky's utilization rate

The utilization rate for Kentucky law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 29%.

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%.

Kentucky's realization rate

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

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%.

Kentucky's collection rate

The collection rate for Kentucky 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%.

Kentucky’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$216$244
2021 Legal Trends Report$214$241
2020 Legal Trends Report$205$232
2019 Legal Trends Report$210$237
2018 Legal Trends Report$207$233

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2022 Legal Trends Report$204$230
2021 Legal Trends Report$203$228
2020 Legal Trends Report$196$221
2019 Legal Trends Report$199$224
2018 Legal Trends Report$197$222

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2022 Legal Trends Report$133$150
2021 Legal Trends Report$130$146
2020 Legal Trends Report$126$141
2019 Legal Trends Report$112$126
2018 Legal Trends Report$112$126
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 Kentucky?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Kentucky is between $380 and $85 per hour, with the average being $216.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Kentucky?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Kentucky is $225 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Kentucky?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Kentucky is $222 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Kentucky?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Kentucky is $178 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Kentucky?

Immigration attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Kentucky, earning $380 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Kentucky?

Collections attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Kentucky, earning $85 per hour on average.