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

Did you know that lawyers in New Mexico typically charge between $150 and $359 per hour, with the average being $261? 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 $150 and $359 per hour, with the average being $261. 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 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$229
Bankruptcy$296
Business$310
Civil Litigation$209
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$268
Collections$284
Commercial Sale of Goods$303
Construction$280
Contracts$276
CorporateCurrently unavailable
Criminal$251
Elder LawCurrently unavailable
Employment LaborCurrently unavailable
Family$290
Government$240
Immigration$150
Insurance$242
Intellectual Property$298
Juvenile$242
Mediation and Arbitration$349
Medical Malpractice$198
Other$267
Personal Injury$215
Real Estate$312
Small Claims$300
Tax$237
Traffic OffensesCurrently unavailable
Trusts$359
Wills and Estates$323
Worker's Compensation$162

Hourly Rates for New Mexico Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $237/hour

    The average hourly rate for New Mexico law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $237. The average hourly rate for New Mexico lawyers is $261 and the average for non-lawyers is $143.

    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 $261/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 $261, while the average hourly rate for New Mexico lawyers is $287 and non-lawyers is $157.

    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.

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 37%

    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 92%

    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 95%

    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%.

New Mexico’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports

Lawyer Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$287$287
2023 Legal Trends Report$269$269
2022 Legal Trends Report$257$257
2021 Legal Trends Report$256$256
2020 Legal Trends Report$251$251

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$261$261
2023 Legal Trends Report$243$243
2022 Legal Trends Report$231$231
2021 Legal Trends Report$230$230
2020 Legal Trends Report$227$227

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$157$157
2023 Legal Trends Report$147$147
2022 Legal Trends Report$138$138
2021 Legal Trends Report$141$141
2020 Legal Trends Report$139$139
  • 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 New Mexico?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in New Mexico is between $359 and $150 per hour, with the average being $261.

How much does a family lawyer charge in New Mexico?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in New Mexico is $290 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 $209 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in New Mexico?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in New Mexico is $251 per hour.

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

Trusts attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in New Mexico, earning $359 per hour on average.

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

Immigration attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in New Mexico, earning $150 per hour on average.