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

Did you know that lawyers in North Dakota typically charge between $183 and $449 per hour, with the average being $285? 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 $183 and $449 per hour, with the average being $285. 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 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
Administrative$449
Appellate$257
Bankruptcy$275
Business$324
Civil Litigation$298
Civil Rights and Constitutional LawCurrently unavailable
Collections$266
Commercial Sale of Goods$257
Construction$311
Contracts$427
Corporate$364
Criminal$268
Elder Law$382
Employment Labor$342
Family$258
Government$236
Immigration$300
Insurance$295
Intellectual PropertyCurrently unavailable
JuvenileCurrently unavailable
Mediation and Arbitration$325
Medical MalpracticeCurrently unavailable
Other$291
Personal Injury$237
Real Estate$400
Small Claims$183
Tax$361
Traffic OffensesCurrently unavailable
Trusts$377
Wills and Estates$288
Worker's Compensation$300

Hourly Rates for North Dakota Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $266/hour

    The average hourly rate for North Dakota law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $266. The average hourly rate for North Dakota lawyers is $285 and the average for non-lawyers is $180.

    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 $300/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 $300, while the average hourly rate for North Dakota lawyers is $322 and non-lawyers is $203.

    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.

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 34%

    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 95%

    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 91%

    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%.

North Dakota’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports

Lawyer Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$322$322
2023 Legal Trends Report$277$277
2022 Legal Trends Report$293$293
2021 Legal Trends Report$289$289
2020 Legal Trends Report$280$280

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$300$300
2023 Legal Trends Report$254$254
2022 Legal Trends Report$268$268
2021 Legal Trends Report$269$269
2020 Legal Trends Report$256$256

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$203$203
2023 Legal Trends Report$159$159
2022 Legal Trends Report$168$168
2021 Legal Trends Report$179$179
2020 Legal Trends Report$168$168
  • 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 North Dakota?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in North Dakota is between $449 and $183 per hour, with the average being $285.

How much does a family lawyer charge in North Dakota?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in North Dakota is $258 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 $298 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in North Dakota?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in North Dakota is $268 per hour.

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

Administrative attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in North Dakota, earning $449 per hour on average.

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

Small Claims attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in North Dakota, earning $183 per hour on average.