How much should I charge as a lawyer in Rhode Island ?

Did you know that lawyers in Rhode Island typically charge between $100 and $446 per hour, with the average being $238? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Rhode Island.

Hourly rates in Rhode Island

Lawyers in Rhode Island typically charge between $100 and $446 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 Rhode Island by practice area

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


Practice Area Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$200
Appellate$220
Bankruptcy$358
Business$312
Civil Litigation$325
Civil Rights | Constitutional LawCurrently unavailable
Collections$329
Commercial | Sale of Goods$259
Construction$348
Contracts$100
Corporate$377
Criminal$153
Elder Law$328
Employment | Labor$306
Family$301
Government$242
Immigration$326
Insurance$293
Intellectual Property$446
JuvenileCurrently unavailable
Mediation | Arbitration$321
Medical MalpracticeCurrently unavailable
Other$231
Personal Injury$324
Real Estate$370
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
Tax$239
Traffic Offenses$222
Trusts$377
Wills & Estates$314
Worker's Compensation$305

Rhode Island's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for Rhode Island law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $228. The average hourly rate for Rhode Island lawyers is $238 and the average for non-lawyers is $157.

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.


Rhode Island'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 Rhode Island law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $231, while the average hourly rate for Rhode Island lawyers is $241 and non-lawyers is $159.

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.

Rhode Island'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%.

Rhode Island's utilization rate

The utilization rate for Rhode Island law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 33%.

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%.

Rhode Island's realization rate

The realization rate for Rhode Island law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 74%.

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%.

Rhode Island's collection rate

The collection rate for Rhode Island law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 88%.

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%.

Rhode Island’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$241
2021 Legal Trends Report$221$224
2020 Legal Trends Report$203$206
2019 Legal Trends Report$195$198
2018 Legal Trends Report$223$226

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2022 Legal Trends Report$228$231
2021 Legal Trends Report$211$214
2020 Legal Trends Report$192$194
2019 Legal Trends Report$173$176
2018 Legal Trends Report$201$203

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2022 Legal Trends Report$157$159
2021 Legal Trends Report$120$122
2020 Legal Trends Report$106$107
2019 Legal Trends Report$89$90
2018 Legal Trends Report$106$108
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 Rhode Island?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Rhode Island is between $446 and $100 per hour, with the average being $238.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Rhode Island?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Rhode Island is $301 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Rhode Island?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Rhode Island is $325 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Rhode Island?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Rhode Island is $153 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Rhode Island?

Intellectual Property attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Rhode Island, earning $446 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Rhode Island?

Contracts attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Rhode Island, earning $100 per hour on average.