How much should I charge as a lawyer in Maine ?

Did you know that lawyers in Maine typically charge between $135 and $355 per hour, with the average being $193? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Maine 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 Maine, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Maine.

Hourly rates in Maine

Lawyers in Maine typically charge between $135 and $355 per hour, with the average being $193. 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 Maine by practice area

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


Practice Area Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$309
Appellate$210
Bankruptcy$296
Business$288
Civil Litigation$227
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$200
CollectionsCurrently unavailable
Commercial Sale of Goods$283
Construction$200
Contracts$300
Corporate$248
Criminal$168
Elder Law$314
Employment Labor$317
Family$254
Government$215
Immigration$247
Insurance$158
Intellectual Property$342
Juvenile$135
Mediation and Arbitration$233
Medical MalpracticeCurrently unavailable
Other$232
Personal Injury$355
Real Estate$273
Small Claims$250
Tax$354
Traffic Offenses$300
Trusts$321
Wills and Estates$261
Worker's Compensation$277

Maine's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for Maine law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $183. The average hourly rate for Maine lawyers is $193 and the average for non-lawyers is $130.

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.


Maine'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 Maine law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $188, while the average hourly rate for Maine lawyers is $199 and non-lawyers is $134.

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.

Maine'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%.

Maine's utilization rate

The utilization rate for Maine law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 34%.

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%.

Maine's realization rate

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

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%.

Maine's collection rate

The collection rate for Maine law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 92%.

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%.

Maine’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$193$199
2022 Legal Trends Report$195$201
2021 Legal Trends Report$178$183
2020 Legal Trends Report$171$176
2019 Legal Trends Report$169$174

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2023 Legal Trends Report$183$188
2022 Legal Trends Report$186$191
2021 Legal Trends Report$169$174
2020 Legal Trends Report$161$166
2019 Legal Trends Report$159$163

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2023 Legal Trends Report$130$134
2022 Legal Trends Report$128$132
2021 Legal Trends Report$120$123
2020 Legal Trends Report$106$109
2019 Legal Trends Report$108$112
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 Maine?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Maine is between $355 and $135 per hour, with the average being $193.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Maine?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Maine is $254 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Maine?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Maine is $227 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Maine?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Maine is $168 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Maine?

Personal Injury attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Maine, earning $355 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Maine?

Juvenile attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Maine, earning $135 per hour on average.