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

Did you know that lawyers in Rhode Island typically charge between $160 and $415 per hour, with the average being $317? 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 $160 and $415 per hour, with the average being $317. 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 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$240
Appellate$190
Bankruptcy$387
Business$331
Civil Litigation$325
Civil Rights and Constitutional LawCurrently unavailable
Collections$344
Commercial Sale of Goods$282
Construction$353
Contracts$378
Corporate$415
Criminal$160
Elder Law$300
Employment Labor$316
Family$306
Government$201
Immigration$250
Insurance$253
Intellectual Property$370
JuvenileCurrently unavailable
Mediation and Arbitration$278
Medical MalpracticeCurrently unavailable
Other$258
Personal Injury$281
Real Estate$411
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
Tax$259
Traffic Offenses$352
Trusts$356
Wills and Estates$362
Worker's Compensation$218

Hourly Rates for Rhode Island Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $303/hour

    The average hourly rate for Rhode Island law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $303. The average hourly rate for Rhode Island lawyers is $317 and the average for non-lawyers is $184.

    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 $290/hour

    When it comes 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 $290, while the average hourly rate for Rhode Island lawyers is $303 and non-lawyers is $176.

    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.

Rhode Island'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 42%

    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 87%

    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 96%

    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%.

Rhode Island’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports

Lawyer Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$303$303
2023 Legal Trends Report$235$235
2022 Legal Trends Report$241$241
2021 Legal Trends Report$224$224
2020 Legal Trends Report$206$206

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$290$290
2023 Legal Trends Report$229$229
2022 Legal Trends Report$231$231
2021 Legal Trends Report$214$214
2020 Legal Trends Report$194$194

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$176$176
2023 Legal Trends Report$167$167
2022 Legal Trends Report$159$159
2021 Legal Trends Report$122$122
2020 Legal Trends Report$107$107
  • 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 Rhode Island?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Rhode Island is between $415 and $160 per hour, with the average being $317.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Rhode Island?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Rhode Island is $306 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 $160 per hour.

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

Corporate attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Rhode Island, earning $415 per hour on average.

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

Criminal attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Rhode Island, earning $160 per hour on average.