How much should I charge as a lawyer in Ohio ?

Did you know that lawyers in Ohio typically charge between $116 and $1023 per hour, with the average being $238? 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 $116 and $1023 per hour, with the average being $238. For comparison, District of Columbia has the highest average hourly rate at $424 while West Virginia has the lowest average hourly rate at $168.

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$243
Appellate$143
Bankruptcy$302
Business$296
Civil Litigation$277
Civil Rights | Constitutional Law$338
Collections$272
Commercial | Sale of Goods$248
Construction$205
Contracts$230
Corporate$298
Criminal$131
Elder Law$294
Employment | Labor$307
Family$230
Government$151
Immigration$451
Insurance$171
Intellectual Property$276
Juvenile$116
Mediation | Arbitration$337
Medical Malpractice$252
Other$262
Personal Injury$311
Real Estate$254
Small Claims$1023
Tax$277
Traffic Offenses$293
Trusts$290
Wills & Estates$277
Worker's Compensation$191

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 $224. The average hourly rate for Ohio lawyers is $238 and the average for non-lawyers is $139.

For comparison:

  • District of Columbia has the highest law firm hourly rate at $384, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $163.
  • District of Columbia has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $424, while West Virginia has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $168.


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 $252, while the average hourly rate for Ohio lawyers is $267 and non-lawyers is $155.

For comparison:
  • District of Columbia has the highest law firm hourly rate at $330, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $183.
  • District of Columbia has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $359, while Alabama has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $189.

Note: Industry-wide data suggests the average lawyer could increase rates by an additional 3% to keep up with recent changes in the consumer price index (CPI) relative to 2019.

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 85%.
  3. Collection rate: How much invoiced work gets paid to a law firm. The national average collection rate was 89%.

Ohio's utilization rate

The utilization rate for Ohio law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 31%.

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 26%.

Ohio's realization rate

The realization rate for Ohio law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 85%.

For comparison:
  • Idaho has the highest realization rate for law firms at 94%, while District of Columbia has the lowest realization rate for law firms at 66%.

Ohio's collection rate

The collection rate for Ohio law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 89%.

For comparison:
  • Minnesota has the highest collection rate for law firms at 92%, while Illinois has the lowest collection rate for law firms at 85%.

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
2022 Legal Trends Report$238$267
2021 Legal Trends Report$234$262
2020 Legal Trends Report$223$250
2019 Legal Trends Report$220$247
2018 Legal Trends Report$219$245

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2022 Legal Trends Report$224$252
2021 Legal Trends Report$221$248
2020 Legal Trends Report$213$238
2019 Legal Trends Report$208$232
2018 Legal Trends Report$206$231

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2022 Legal Trends Report$139$155
2021 Legal Trends Report$138$155
2020 Legal Trends Report$139$156
2019 Legal Trends Report$127$142
2018 Legal Trends Report$121$135
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 $1023 and $116 per hour, with the average being $238.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Ohio?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Ohio is $230 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Ohio?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Ohio is $277 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Ohio?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Ohio is $131 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Ohio?

Small Claims attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Ohio, earning $1023 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 $116 per hour on average.