How much should I charge as a lawyer in Kentucky ?

Did you know that lawyers in Kentucky typically charge between $158 and $427 per hour, with the average being $236? 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 $158 and $427 per hour, with the average being $236. 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 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$334
Bankruptcy$427
Business$278
Civil Litigation$202
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$313
Collections$268
Commercial Sale of Goods$285
Construction$257
Contracts$222
Corporate$282
Criminal$209
Elder Law$275
Employment Labor$279
Family$234
Government$211
Immigration$242
Insurance$158
Intellectual Property$355
Juvenile$205
Mediation and Arbitration$296
Medical MalpracticeCurrently unavailable
Other$208
Personal Injury$213
Real Estate$268
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
Tax$267
Traffic Offenses$298
Trusts$323
Wills and Estates$243
Worker's Compensation$158

Hourly Rates for Kentucky Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $227/hour

    The average hourly rate for Kentucky law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $227. The average hourly rate for Kentucky lawyers is $236 and the average for non-lawyers is $158.

    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 $254/hour

    When it comes 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 $254, while the average hourly rate for Kentucky lawyers is $265 and non-lawyers is $177.

    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.

Kentucky'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 33%

    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 90%

    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 93%

    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%.

Kentucky’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports

Lawyer Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$265$265
2023 Legal Trends Report$230$230
2022 Legal Trends Report$244$244
2021 Legal Trends Report$241$241
2020 Legal Trends Report$232$232

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$254$254
2023 Legal Trends Report$217$217
2022 Legal Trends Report$230$230
2021 Legal Trends Report$228$228
2020 Legal Trends Report$221$221

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$177$177
2023 Legal Trends Report$136$136
2022 Legal Trends Report$150$150
2021 Legal Trends Report$146$146
2020 Legal Trends Report$141$141
  • 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 Kentucky?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Kentucky is between $427 and $158 per hour, with the average being $236.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Kentucky?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Kentucky is $234 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Kentucky?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Kentucky is $202 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Kentucky?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Kentucky is $209 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Kentucky?

Bankruptcy attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Kentucky, earning $427 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Kentucky?

Insurance attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Kentucky, earning $158 per hour on average.