How much should I charge as a lawyer in Utah ?

Did you know that lawyers in Utah typically charge between $182 and $537 per hour, with the average being $260? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Utah 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 Utah, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Utah.

Hourly rates in Utah

Lawyers in Utah typically charge between $182 and $537 per hour, with the average being $260. 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 Utah by practice area

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


Practice Area Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$235
Appellate$316
Bankruptcy$298
Business$288
Civil Litigation$277
Civil Rights | Constitutional Law$311
Collections$255
Commercial | Sale of Goods$242
Construction$257
Contracts$255
Corporate$287
Criminal$300
Elder Law$232
Employment | Labor$254
Family$261
Government$250
Immigration$388
Insurance$249
Intellectual Property$259
Juvenile$209
Mediation | Arbitration$321
Medical Malpractice$362
Other$275
Personal Injury$324
Real Estate$267
Small Claims$182
Tax$371
Traffic Offenses$537
Trusts$290
Wills & Estates$302
Worker's Compensation$250

Utah's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for Utah law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $238. The average hourly rate for Utah lawyers is $260 and the average for non-lawyers is $134.

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.


Utah'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 Utah law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $245, while the average hourly rate for Utah lawyers is $268 and non-lawyers is $138.

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.

Utah'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%.

Utah's utilization rate

The utilization rate for Utah law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 36%.

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%.

Utah's realization rate

The realization rate for Utah law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 92%.

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%.

Utah's collection rate

The collection rate for Utah 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%.

Utah’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$260$268
2021 Legal Trends Report$251$259
2020 Legal Trends Report$240$248
2019 Legal Trends Report$239$246
2018 Legal Trends Report$227$234

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2022 Legal Trends Report$238$245
2021 Legal Trends Report$231$239
2020 Legal Trends Report$223$230
2019 Legal Trends Report$216$223
2018 Legal Trends Report$208$215

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2022 Legal Trends Report$134$138
2021 Legal Trends Report$127$131
2020 Legal Trends Report$135$140
2019 Legal Trends Report$123$126
2018 Legal Trends Report$113$117
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 Utah?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Utah is between $537 and $182 per hour, with the average being $260.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Utah?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Utah is $261 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Utah?

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

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Utah?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Utah is $300 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Utah?

Traffic Offenses attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Utah, earning $537 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Utah?

Small Claims attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Utah, earning $182 per hour on average.