How much should I charge as a lawyer in Ohio ?

Did you know that lawyers in Ohio typically charge between $124 and $474 per hour, with the average being $224? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Ohio 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 Ohio, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Ohio.

Hourly rates in Ohio

Lawyers in Ohio typically charge between $124 and $474 per hour, with the average being $224. 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 Ohio by practice area

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


Practice Area Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$250
Appellate$141
Bankruptcy$323
Business$321
Civil Litigation$272
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$392
Collections$286
Commercial Sale of Goods$277
Construction$242
Contracts$302
Corporate$315
Criminal$132
Elder Law$293
Employment Labor$308
Family$246
Government$161
Immigration$474
Insurance$179
Intellectual Property$235
Juvenile$124
Mediation and Arbitration$327
Medical Malpractice$250
Other$282
Personal Injury$274
Real Estate$271
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
Tax$257
Traffic Offenses$259
Trusts$305
Wills and Estates$290
Worker's Compensation$194

Ohio's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for Ohio law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $212. The average hourly rate for Ohio lawyers is $224 and the average for non-lawyers is $137.

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.


Ohio'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 Ohio law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $229, while the average hourly rate for Ohio lawyers is $242 and non-lawyers is $148.

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.

Ohio'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%.

Ohio's utilization rate

The utilization rate for Ohio law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 30%.

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%.

Ohio's realization rate

The realization rate for Ohio law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 87%.

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%.

Ohio's collection rate

The collection rate for Ohio law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 90%.

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%.

Ohio’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$224$242
2022 Legal Trends Report$238$267
2021 Legal Trends Report$234$262
2020 Legal Trends Report$223$250
2019 Legal Trends Report$220$247

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2023 Legal Trends Report$212$229
2022 Legal Trends Report$224$252
2021 Legal Trends Report$221$248
2020 Legal Trends Report$213$238
2019 Legal Trends Report$208$232

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2023 Legal Trends Report$137$148
2022 Legal Trends Report$139$155
2021 Legal Trends Report$138$155
2020 Legal Trends Report$139$156
2019 Legal Trends Report$127$142
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 Ohio?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Ohio is between $474 and $124 per hour, with the average being $224.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Ohio?

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

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Ohio?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Ohio is $272 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Ohio?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Ohio is $132 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Ohio?

Immigration attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Ohio, earning $474 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Ohio?

Juvenile attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Ohio, earning $124 per hour on average.