How much should I charge as a lawyer in Tennessee ?

Did you know that lawyers in Tennessee typically charge between $123 and $452 per hour, with the average being $233? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Tennessee 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 Tennessee, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Tennessee.

Hourly rates in Tennessee

Lawyers in Tennessee typically charge between $123 and $452 per hour, with the average being $233. 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 Tennessee by practice area

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


Practice Area Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$300
Appellate$319
Bankruptcy$323
Business$303
Civil Litigation$283
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$240
Collections$314
Commercial Sale of Goods$302
Construction$321
Contracts$288
Corporate$323
Criminal$192
Elder Law$297
Employment Labor$326
Family$287
Government$203
Immigration$452
Insurance$173
Intellectual Property$369
Juvenile$123
Mediation and Arbitration$295
Medical Malpractice$282
Other$278
Personal Injury$169
Real Estate$316
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
Tax$349
Traffic Offenses$250
Trusts$293
Wills and Estates$284
Worker's Compensation$145

Tennessee's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for Tennessee law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $218. The average hourly rate for Tennessee lawyers is $233 and the average for non-lawyers is $127.

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.


Tennessee'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 Tennessee law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $240, while the average hourly rate for Tennessee lawyers is $257 and non-lawyers is $140.

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.

Tennessee'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%.

Tennessee's utilization rate

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

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%.

Tennessee's realization rate

The realization rate for Tennessee law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 81%.

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%.

Tennessee's collection rate

The collection rate for Tennessee 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%.

Tennessee’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$233$257
2022 Legal Trends Report$247$273
2021 Legal Trends Report$235$261
2020 Legal Trends Report$228$253
2019 Legal Trends Report$221$245

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2023 Legal Trends Report$218$240
2022 Legal Trends Report$229$254
2021 Legal Trends Report$218$241
2020 Legal Trends Report$212$235
2019 Legal Trends Report$206$229

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2023 Legal Trends Report$127$140
2022 Legal Trends Report$125$138
2021 Legal Trends Report$120$133
2020 Legal Trends Report$117$129
2019 Legal Trends Report$110$121
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 Tennessee?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Tennessee is between $452 and $123 per hour, with the average being $233.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Tennessee?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Tennessee is $287 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Tennessee?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Tennessee is $283 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Tennessee?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Tennessee is $192 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Tennessee?

Immigration attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Tennessee, earning $452 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Tennessee?

Juvenile attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Tennessee, earning $123 per hour on average.