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How Much Should I Charge as a Lawyer in Virginia?

Updated March 2026

Average hourly rates for lawyers, non-lawyers, and law firms in Virginia is based on aggregated and anonymized data from tens of thousands of legal professionals across the U.S. This data is updated annually and published with additional research and analysis in Clio’s Legal Trends Report.

Key takeaways

  • As of 2025, the average hourly rate for a lawyer in Virginia is $380, compared to $349 in the US. Based on practice area, rates in Virginia can range from $194 to $509.
  • As of 2025, the average hourly rate for non-lawyers in Virginia is $201, compared to $187 in the US. Based on practice area, non-lawyer rates in Virginia can range from $116 to $314.
  • The average hourly rate that law firms charge in Virginia is $344 (compared to $311 in the US), which is a blended rate that takes into account both lawyer and non-lawyer rates. Based on the practice area, how much law firms charge in Virginia can range from $136 to $432.

Compare hourly rates to national averages and other states

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  • All of Clio’s research is published annually in the Legal Trends Report, which features in-depth analysis on the latest trends in AI technology and adoption, consumer perspectives on legal services, and this year, a first-of-its kind neurological study of legal professionals.

    Read the report

Hourly rates for legal services in Virginia

Compare average hourly rates for lawyers, non-lawyers, and law firms in Virginia. “Non-lawyer” rates refer to non-licensed legal professionals like paralegals and other firm administrative staff. “Law firm” rates are a blended average of lawyer and non-lawyer rates.


Average lawyer hourly rates
Average non-lawyer hourly rates
Average law firm hourly rates
State average $380 $201 $344
High $492 $237 $456
Low $196 $118 $186
Industry average $349 $187 $311

Compare hourly rates to national averages and other states

Hourly rates for legal services by practice area in Virginia

In Virginia, hourly rates differ based on the types of services and practice areas offered by lawyers and their law firms


Practice area
Average lawyer hourly rate
Administrative$339
Appellate$375
Bankruptcy$418
Business$383
Civil Litigation$372
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$385
Collections$298
Commercial Sale of Goods$408
Construction$194
Contracts$434
Corporate$372
Criminal$238
Elder Law$371
Employment Labor$390
Family$352
Government$509
Immigration$329
Insurance$286
Intellectual Property$447
Juvenile$204
Mediation and Arbitration$428
Medical Malpractice$336
Other$297
Personal Injury$358
Real Estate$380
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
Tax$484
Traffic Offenses$403
Trusts$377
Wills and Estates$437
Worker's Compensation$200

Key performance indicators in Virginia

Key performance indicators (KPIs) offer valuable insights into a firm’s performance in Virginia. 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
Realization rate
Collection rate
What is it? How many hours individual lawyers put towards revenue-generating work. How much revenue-generating work is billed to a client after discounts or canceled fees. How much invoiced work gets paid to a law firm.
Virginia average 31% 87% 94%
U.S. average 38% 88% 92%

Historical hourly rates in Virginia


Year
Average lawyer hourly rate
Average non-lawyer hourly rate
Average law firm hourly rate
2025$380$201$344
2024$351$199$327
2023$295$165$273
2022$304$163$281
2021$295$159$275

Adjusted hourly rates in Virginia

In addition to hourly rates, cost of living standards in Virginia can affect overall purchasing power. Adjusted hourly rates take into account average consumer prices, and are calculated as follows.


Year
Adjusted lawyer hourly rate
Adjusted non-lawyer hourly rate
Adjusted law firm hourly rate
2025$377$200$341
2024$344$195$321
2023$288$161$267
2022$296$159$274
2021$288$155$268

Frequently asked questions

What is the hourly rate of a lawyer in Virginia?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Virginia is between $194 and $509 per hour, with the average being $380.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Virginia?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Virginia is $352 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Virginia?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Virginia is $372 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Virginia?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Virginia is $238 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Virginia?

Government attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Virginia, earning $509 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Virginia?

Construction attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Virginia, earning $194 per hour on average.

Explore lawyer rates in the U.S.

About the Legal Trends Report

The Legal Trends Report, published by Clio, provides information on the most important issues faced within the legal profession. By analyzing aggregated and anonymized data from tens of thousands of legal professionals in the U.S., supported by extensive survey research, this report offers unique insights into law firm efficiencies, hourly rates, and other key metrics for success.

Read the report