How much should I charge as a lawyer in Virginia ?

Did you know that lawyers in Virginia typically charge between $173 and $430 per hour, with the average being $304? 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 $173 and $430 per hour, with the average being $304. 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 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$296
Appellate$306
Bankruptcy$336
Business$334
Civil Litigation$345
Civil Rights | Constitutional Law$339
Collections$207
Commercial | Sale of Goods$355
Construction$358
Contracts$337
Corporate$344
Criminal$173
Elder Law$263
Employment | Labor$355
Family$309
Government$256
Immigration$300
Insurance$261
Intellectual Property$410
Juvenile$233
Mediation | Arbitration$344
Medical Malpractice$305
Other$286
Personal Injury$317
Real Estate$364
Small Claims$430
Tax$419
Traffic Offenses$350
Trusts$342
Wills & Estates$383
Worker's Compensation$188

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 $281. The average hourly rate for Virginia lawyers is $304 and the average for non-lawyers is $163.

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.


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 $274, while the average hourly rate for Virginia lawyers is $296 and non-lawyers is $159.

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.

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 85%.
  3. Collection rate: How much invoiced work gets paid to a law firm. The national average collection rate was 89%.

Virginia's utilization rate

The utilization rate for Virginia law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 29%.

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%.

Virginia's realization rate

The realization rate for Virginia law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 90%.

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%.

Virginia's collection rate

The collection rate for Virginia law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 90%.

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%.

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
2022 Legal Trends Report$304$296
2021 Legal Trends Report$295$288
2020 Legal Trends Report$282$275
2019 Legal Trends Report$273$266
2018 Legal Trends Report$258$252

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2022 Legal Trends Report$281$274
2021 Legal Trends Report$275$268
2020 Legal Trends Report$264$258
2019 Legal Trends Report$255$248
2018 Legal Trends Report$241$235

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2022 Legal Trends Report$163$159
2021 Legal Trends Report$159$155
2020 Legal Trends Report$161$157
2019 Legal Trends Report$166$162
2018 Legal Trends Report$162$158
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 $430 and $173 per hour, with the average being $304.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Virginia?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Virginia is $309 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Virginia?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Virginia is $345 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Virginia?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Virginia is $173 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Virginia?

Small Claims attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Virginia, earning $430 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 $173 per hour on average.