How much should I charge as a lawyer in Nebraska ?

Did you know that lawyers in Nebraska typically charge between $96 and $341 per hour, with the average being $219? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Nebraska 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 Nebraska, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Nebraska.

Hourly rates in Nebraska

Lawyers in Nebraska typically charge between $96 and $341 per hour, with the average being $219. 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 Nebraska by practice area

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


Practice Area Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$193
AppellateCurrently unavailable
Bankruptcy$270
Business$251
Civil Litigation$227
Civil Rights | Constitutional Law$265
Collections$187
Commercial | Sale of Goods$208
ConstructionCurrently unavailable
Contracts$262
Corporate$236
Criminal$119
Elder Law$201
Employment | Labor$267
Family$246
Government$118
Immigration$256
Insurance$306
Intellectual Property$324
Juvenile$96
Mediation | Arbitration$272
Medical MalpracticeCurrently unavailable
Other$266
Personal Injury$257
Real Estate$239
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
Tax$294
Traffic Offenses$341
Trusts$273
Wills & Estates$232
Worker's Compensation$245

Nebraska's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for Nebraska law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $221. The average hourly rate for Nebraska lawyers is $219 and the average for non-lawyers is $228.

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.


Nebraska'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 Nebraska law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $244, while the average hourly rate for Nebraska lawyers is $242 and non-lawyers is $252.

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.

Nebraska'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%.

Nebraska's utilization rate

The utilization rate for Nebraska law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 42%.

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%.

Nebraska's realization rate

The realization rate for Nebraska law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 80%.

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%.

Nebraska's collection rate

The collection rate for Nebraska 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%.

Nebraska’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$219$242
2021 Legal Trends Report$224$247
2020 Legal Trends Report$215$237
2019 Legal Trends Report$202$223
2018 Legal Trends Report$201$222

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2022 Legal Trends Report$221$244
2021 Legal Trends Report$223$246
2020 Legal Trends Report$212$234
2019 Legal Trends Report$195$215
2018 Legal Trends Report$195$215

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2022 Legal Trends Report$228$252
2021 Legal Trends Report$218$241
2020 Legal Trends Report$202$223
2019 Legal Trends Report$182$201
2018 Legal Trends Report$185$204
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 Nebraska?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Nebraska is between $341 and $96 per hour, with the average being $219.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Nebraska?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Nebraska is $246 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Nebraska?

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

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Nebraska?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Nebraska is $119 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Nebraska?

Traffic Offenses attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Nebraska, earning $341 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Nebraska?

Juvenile attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Nebraska, earning $96 per hour on average.