How much should I charge as a lawyer in New Hampshire ?

Did you know that lawyers in New Hampshire typically charge between $127 and $447 per hour, with the average being $248? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in New Hampshire.

Hourly rates in New Hampshire

Lawyers in New Hampshire typically charge between $127 and $447 per hour, with the average being $248. 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 New Hampshire by practice area

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


Practice Area Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$261
AppellateCurrently unavailable
Bankruptcy$359
Business$327
Civil Litigation$322
Civil Rights and Constitutional LawCurrently unavailable
Collections$352
Commercial Sale of Goods$338
ConstructionCurrently unavailable
Contracts$127
Corporate$288
Criminal$218
Elder Law$218
Employment Labor$313
Family$276
Government$257
ImmigrationCurrently unavailable
Insurance$189
Intellectual Property$447
Juvenile$300
Mediation and Arbitration$398
Medical MalpracticeCurrently unavailable
Other$229
Personal Injury$284
Real Estate$325
Small Claims$300
Tax$295
Traffic Offenses$300
Trusts$281
Wills and Estates$332
Worker's Compensation$157

New Hampshire's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for New Hampshire law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $230. The average hourly rate for New Hampshire lawyers is $248 and the average for non-lawyers is $145.

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.


New Hampshire'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 New Hampshire law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $224, while the average hourly rate for New Hampshire lawyers is $242 and non-lawyers is $141.

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.

New Hampshire'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%.

New Hampshire's utilization rate

The utilization rate for New Hampshire law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 27%.

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%.

New Hampshire's realization rate

The realization rate for New Hampshire law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 92%.

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%.

New Hampshire's collection rate

The collection rate for New Hampshire 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%.

New Hampshire’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$248$242
2022 Legal Trends Report$256$243
2021 Legal Trends Report$239$227
2020 Legal Trends Report$261$248
2019 Legal Trends Report$240$229

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2023 Legal Trends Report$230$224
2022 Legal Trends Report$234$222
2021 Legal Trends Report$219$208
2020 Legal Trends Report$242$230
2019 Legal Trends Report$224$213

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2023 Legal Trends Report$145$141
2022 Legal Trends Report$144$137
2021 Legal Trends Report$141$134
2020 Legal Trends Report$140$133
2019 Legal Trends Report$126$120
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 New Hampshire?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in New Hampshire is between $447 and $127 per hour, with the average being $248.

How much does a family lawyer charge in New Hampshire?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in New Hampshire is $276 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in New Hampshire?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in New Hampshire is $322 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in New Hampshire?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in New Hampshire is $218 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in New Hampshire?

Intellectual Property attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in New Hampshire, earning $447 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in New Hampshire?

Contracts attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in New Hampshire, earning $127 per hour on average.