How much should I charge as a lawyer in North Dakota ?

Did you know that lawyers in North Dakota typically charge between $277 and $605 per hour, with the average being $324? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in North Dakota 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 North Dakota, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in North Dakota.

Hourly rates in North Dakota

Lawyers in North Dakota typically charge between $277 and $605 per hour, with the average being $324. For comparison, District of Columbia has the highest average hourly rate at $490 while West Virginia has the lowest average hourly rate at $196.

Hourly rates in North Dakota by practice area

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


Practice Area
Average Hourly Rate
AdministrativeCurrently unavailable
AppellateCurrently unavailable
Bankruptcy$364
Business$341
Civil Litigation$320
Civil Rights and Constitutional LawCurrently unavailable
Collections$295
Commercial Sale of Goods$319
Construction$329
Contracts$396
Corporate$605
Criminal$277
Elder Law$285
Employment Labor$321
Family$285
Government$387
ImmigrationCurrently unavailable
InsuranceCurrently unavailable
Intellectual PropertyCurrently unavailable
JuvenileCurrently unavailable
Mediation and ArbitrationCurrently unavailable
Medical MalpracticeCurrently unavailable
OtherCurrently unavailable
Personal InjuryCurrently unavailable
Real Estate$360
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
TaxCurrently unavailable
Traffic OffensesCurrently unavailable
TrustsCurrently unavailable
Wills and Estates$321
Worker's CompensationCurrently unavailable

Hourly Rates for North Dakota Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $301/hour

    The average hourly rate for North Dakota law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $301. The average hourly rate for North Dakota lawyers is $324 and the average for non-lawyers is $211.

    For comparison:

    • District of Columbia has the highest law firm hourly rate at $454, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $185.
    • District of Columbia has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $490, while West Virginia has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $196.

  • Adjusted for cost of living is $340/hour

    When it comes to adjusted rates by state (rates reflecting the cost of living in each state), the average hourly rate for North Dakota law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $340, while the average hourly rate for North Dakota lawyers is $366 and non-lawyers is $239.

    For comparison:

    • Delaware has the highest law firm hourly rate at $421, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $206.
    • Delaware has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $475, while Alaska has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $218.

North Dakota'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 37%.

    For comparison: Nebraska has the highest utilization rate for law firms at 46%, while Arkansas has the lowest utilization rate for law firms at 29%.

  • Realization rate 93%

    How much revenue–generating work is billed to a client after discounts or canceled fees. The national average realization rate was 86%.

    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 91%

    How much invoiced work gets paid to a law firm. The national average collection rate was 93%.

    For comparison: Delaware has the highest collection rate for law firms at 97%, while Arkansas has the lowest collection rate for law firms at 87%.

North Dakota’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports

Lawyer Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2025 Legal Trends Report$324$366
2024 Legal Trends Report$285$322
2023 Legal Trends Report$253$277
2022 Legal Trends Report$268$293
2021 Legal Trends Report$264$289

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2025 Legal Trends Report$301$340
2024 Legal Trends Report$266$300
2023 Legal Trends Report$231$254
2022 Legal Trends Report$245$268
2021 Legal Trends Report$246$269

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2025 Legal Trends Report$211$239
2024 Legal Trends Report$180$203
2023 Legal Trends Report$145$159
2022 Legal Trends Report$154$168
2021 Legal Trends Report$164$179
  • About Clio’s Hourly Rate Data for Lawyers (Updated 2025)

    Clio's Hourly Rate Data is based on aggregated and anonymized data from tens of thousands of legal professionals. 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 North Dakota?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in North Dakota is between $605 and $277 per hour, with the average being $324.

How much does a family lawyer charge in North Dakota?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in North Dakota is $285 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in North Dakota?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in North Dakota is $320 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in North Dakota?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in North Dakota is $277 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in North Dakota?

Corporate attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in North Dakota, earning $605 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in North Dakota?

Criminal attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in North Dakota, earning $277 per hour on average.