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How Much Should I Charge as a Lawyer in New York?

Updated March 2026

Average hourly rates for lawyers, non-lawyers, and law firms in New York is based on aggregated and anonymized data from tens of thousands of legal professionals across the U.S. This data is updated annually and published with additional research and analysis in Clio’s Legal Trends Report.

Key takeaways

  • As of 2025, the average hourly rate for a lawyer in New York is $426, compared to $349 in the US. Based on practice area, rates in New York can range from $159 to $608.
  • As of 2025, the average hourly rate for non-lawyers in New York is $227, compared to $187 in the US. Based on practice area, non-lawyer rates in New York can range from $116 to $314.
  • The average hourly rate that law firms charge in New York is $393 (compared to $311 in the US), which is a blended rate that takes into account both lawyer and non-lawyer rates. Based on the practice area, how much law firms charge in New York can range from $136 to $432.

Compare hourly rates to national averages and other states

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  • All of Clio’s research is published annually in the Legal Trends Report, which features in-depth analysis on the latest trends in AI technology and adoption, consumer perspectives on legal services, and this year, a first-of-its kind neurological study of legal professionals.

    Read the report

Hourly rates for legal services in New York

Compare average hourly rates for lawyers, non-lawyers, and law firms in New York. “Non-lawyer” rates refer to non-licensed legal professionals like paralegals and other firm administrative staff. “Law firm” rates are a blended average of lawyer and non-lawyer rates.


Average lawyer hourly rates
Average non-lawyer hourly rates
Average law firm hourly rates
State average $426 $227 $393
High $492 $237 $456
Low $196 $118 $186
Industry average $349 $187 $311

Compare hourly rates to national averages and other states

Hourly rates for legal services by practice area in New York

In New York, hourly rates differ based on the types of services and practice areas offered by lawyers and their law firms


Practice area
Average lawyer hourly rate
Administrative$388
Appellate$356
Bankruptcy$507
Business$429
Civil Litigation$430
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$388
Collections$405
Commercial Sale of Goods$466
Construction$369
Contracts$421
Corporate$551
Criminal$306
Elder Law$395
Employment Labor$322
Family$429
Government$250
Immigration$563
Insurance$203
Intellectual Property$517
Juvenile$159
Mediation and Arbitration$534
Medical Malpractice$226
Other$350
Personal Injury$217
Real Estate$414
Small Claims$250
Tax$608
Traffic Offenses$216
Trusts$425
Wills and Estates$448
Worker's Compensation$406

Key performance indicators in New York

Key performance indicators (KPIs) offer valuable insights into a firm’s performance in New York. 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
Realization rate
Collection rate
What is it? How many hours individual lawyers put towards revenue-generating work. How much revenue-generating work is billed to a client after discounts or canceled fees. How much invoiced work gets paid to a law firm.
New York average 34% 83% 92%
U.S. average 38% 88% 92%

Historical hourly rates in New York


Year
Average lawyer hourly rate
Average non-lawyer hourly rate
Average law firm hourly rate
2025$426$227$393
2024$398$223$374
2023$358$215$339
2022$378$211$355
2021$372$220$351

Adjusted hourly rates in New York

In addition to hourly rates, cost of living standards in New York can affect overall purchasing power. Adjusted hourly rates take into account average consumer prices, and are calculated as follows.


Year
Adjusted lawyer hourly rate
Adjusted non-lawyer hourly rate
Adjusted law firm hourly rate
2025$395$211$365
2024$370$207$348
2023$327$196$310
2022$327$182$307
2021$322$190$303

Frequently asked questions

What is the hourly rate of a lawyer in New York?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in New York is between $159 and $608 per hour, with the average being $426.

How much does a family lawyer charge in New York?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in New York is $429 per hour.

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

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in New York is $430 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in New York?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in New York is $306 per hour.

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

Tax attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in New York, earning $608 per hour on average.

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

Juvenile attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in New York, earning $159 per hour on average.

Explore lawyer rates in the U.S.

About the Legal Trends Report

The Legal Trends Report, published by Clio, provides information on the most important issues faced within the legal profession. By analyzing aggregated and anonymized data from tens of thousands of legal professionals in the U.S., supported by extensive survey research, this report offers unique insights into law firm efficiencies, hourly rates, and other key metrics for success.

Read the report