How much should I charge as a lawyer in Virginia ?

Did you know that lawyers in Virginia typically charge between $199 and $468 per hour, with the average being $295? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Virginia 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 Virginia, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Virginia.

Hourly rates in Virginia

Lawyers in Virginia typically charge between $199 and $468 per hour, with the average being $295. 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 Virginia by practice area

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


Practice Area Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$289
Appellate$299
Bankruptcy$424
Business$366
Civil Litigation$362
Civil Rights and Constitutional LawCurrently unavailable
Collections$328
Commercial Sale of Goods$468
Construction$328
Contracts$371
Corporate$363
Criminal$199
Elder Law$322
Employment Labor$397
Family$328
Government$342
Immigration$406
Insurance$290
Intellectual Property$436
Juvenile$319
Mediation and Arbitration$373
Medical Malpractice$297
Other$329
Personal Injury$325
Real Estate$360
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
Tax$424
Traffic Offenses$366
Trusts$367
Wills and Estates$386
Worker's Compensation$203

Virginia's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for Virginia law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $273. The average hourly rate for Virginia lawyers is $295 and the average for non-lawyers is $165.

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.


Virginia'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 Virginia law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $267, while the average hourly rate for Virginia lawyers is $288 and non-lawyers is $161.

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.

Virginia'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%.

Virginia's utilization rate

The utilization rate for Virginia law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 27%.

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%.

Virginia's realization rate

The realization rate for Virginia law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 91%.

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%.

Virginia's collection rate

The collection rate for Virginia law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 91%.

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%.

Virginia’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$295$288
2022 Legal Trends Report$304$296
2021 Legal Trends Report$295$288
2020 Legal Trends Report$282$275
2019 Legal Trends Report$273$266

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2023 Legal Trends Report$273$267
2022 Legal Trends Report$281$274
2021 Legal Trends Report$275$268
2020 Legal Trends Report$264$258
2019 Legal Trends Report$255$248

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2023 Legal Trends Report$165$161
2022 Legal Trends Report$163$159
2021 Legal Trends Report$159$155
2020 Legal Trends Report$161$157
2019 Legal Trends Report$166$162
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 Virginia?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Virginia is between $468 and $199 per hour, with the average being $295.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Virginia?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Virginia is $328 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Virginia?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Virginia is $362 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Virginia?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Virginia is $199 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Virginia?

Commercial Sale of Goods attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Virginia, earning $468 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Virginia?

Criminal attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Virginia, earning $199 per hour on average.