How much should I charge as a lawyer in Montana ?

Did you know that lawyers in Montana typically charge between $78 and $330 per hour, with the average being $213? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Montana 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 Montana, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Montana.

Hourly rates in Montana

Lawyers in Montana typically charge between $78 and $330 per hour, with the average being $213. 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 Montana by practice area

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


Practice Area Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$202
Appellate$78
Bankruptcy$272
Business$289
Civil Litigation$231
Civil Rights | Constitutional Law$234
Collections$231
Commercial | Sale of Goods$238
Construction$188
Contracts$260
Corporate$252
Criminal$123
Elder Law$206
Employment | Labor$226
Family$229
Government$197
Immigration$272
Insurance$213
Intellectual Property$330
JuvenileCurrently unavailable
Mediation | Arbitration$229
Medical Malpractice$237
Other$225
Personal Injury$218
Real Estate$256
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
Tax$276
Traffic Offenses$250
Trusts$298
Wills & Estates$261
Worker's Compensation$250

Montana's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for Montana law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $197. The average hourly rate for Montana lawyers is $213 and the average for non-lawyers is $115.

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.


Montana'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 Montana law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $209, while the average hourly rate for Montana lawyers is $227 and non-lawyers is $122.

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.

Montana'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%.

Montana's utilization rate

The utilization rate for Montana law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 36%.

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%.

Montana's realization rate

The realization rate for Montana law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 93%.

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%.

Montana's collection rate

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

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%.

Montana’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$213$227
2021 Legal Trends Report$207$219
2020 Legal Trends Report$196$208
2019 Legal Trends Report$195$207
2018 Legal Trends Report$190$201

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2022 Legal Trends Report$197$209
2021 Legal Trends Report$192$204
2020 Legal Trends Report$183$194
2019 Legal Trends Report$183$194
2018 Legal Trends Report$180$191

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2022 Legal Trends Report$115$122
2021 Legal Trends Report$115$122
2020 Legal Trends Report$111$118
2019 Legal Trends Report$103$110
2018 Legal Trends Report$110$116
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 Montana?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Montana is between $330 and $78 per hour, with the average being $213.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Montana?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Montana is $229 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Montana?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Montana is $231 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Montana?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Montana is $123 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Montana?

Intellectual Property attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Montana, earning $330 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Montana?

Appellate attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Montana, earning $78 per hour on average.