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

Did you know that lawyers in New Mexico typically charge between $219 and $348 per hour, with the average being $280? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in New Mexico 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 Mexico, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in New Mexico.

Hourly rates in New Mexico

Lawyers in New Mexico typically charge between $219 and $348 per hour, with the average being $280. 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 New Mexico by practice area

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


Practice Area
Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$230
Appellate$238
Bankruptcy$309
Business$308
Civil Litigation$219
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$330
Collections$328
Commercial Sale of Goods$328
Construction$299
Contracts$310
CorporateCurrently unavailable
Criminal$222
Elder Law$348
Employment LaborCurrently unavailable
Family$326
GovernmentCurrently unavailable
Immigration$294
Insurance$289
Intellectual Property$328
Juvenile$315
Mediation and Arbitration$219
Medical Malpractice$223
Other$262
Personal Injury$284
Real Estate$315
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
TaxCurrently unavailable
Traffic OffensesCurrently unavailable
Trusts$343
Wills and Estates$321
Worker's CompensationCurrently unavailable

Hourly Rates for New Mexico Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $241/hour

    The average hourly rate for New Mexico law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $241. The average hourly rate for New Mexico lawyers is $280 and the average for non-lawyers is $143.

    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 $266/hour

    When it comes to adjusted rates by state (rates reflecting the cost of living in each state), the average hourly rate for New Mexico law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $266, while the average hourly rate for New Mexico lawyers is $310 and non-lawyers is $158.

    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.

New Mexico'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 40%

    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 92%

    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 95%

    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%.

New Mexico’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports

Lawyer Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2025 Legal Trends Report$280$310
2024 Legal Trends Report$261$287
2023 Legal Trends Report$242$269
2022 Legal Trends Report$244$257
2021 Legal Trends Report$243$256

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2025 Legal Trends Report$241$266
2024 Legal Trends Report$237$261
2023 Legal Trends Report$219$243
2022 Legal Trends Report$220$231
2021 Legal Trends Report$219$230

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2025 Legal Trends Report$143$158
2024 Legal Trends Report$143$157
2023 Legal Trends Report$132$147
2022 Legal Trends Report$131$138
2021 Legal Trends Report$134$141
  • 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 New Mexico?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in New Mexico is between $348 and $219 per hour, with the average being $280.

How much does a family lawyer charge in New Mexico?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in New Mexico is $326 per hour.

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

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in New Mexico is $219 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in New Mexico?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in New Mexico is $222 per hour.

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

Elder Law attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in New Mexico, earning $348 per hour on average.

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

Civil Litigation attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in New Mexico, earning $219 per hour on average.