How much should I charge as a lawyer in Virginia ?

Did you know that lawyers in Virginia typically charge between $203 and $464 per hour, with the average being $351? 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 $203 and $464 per hour, with the average being $351. For comparison, District of Columbia has the highest average hourly rate at $462 while West Virginia has the lowest average hourly rate at $195.

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$304
Appellate$330
Bankruptcy$393
Business$346
Civil Litigation$354
Civil Rights and Constitutional LawCurrently unavailable
Collections$227
Commercial Sale of Goods$402
Construction$314
Contracts$374
Corporate$356
Criminal$203
Elder Law$418
Employment Labor$387
Family$323
Government$378
Immigration$397
Insurance$352
Intellectual Property$441
Juvenile$271
Mediation and Arbitration$399
Medical Malpractice$318
Other$326
Personal Injury$273
Real Estate$397
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
Tax$464
Traffic Offenses$427
Trusts$382
Wills and Estates$431
Worker's Compensation$212

Hourly Rates for Virginia Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $327/hour

    The average hourly rate for Virginia law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $327. The average hourly rate for Virginia lawyers is $351 and the average for non-lawyers is $199.

    For comparison:

    • District of Columbia has the highest law firm hourly rate at $427, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $192.
    • District of Columbia has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $462, while West Virginia has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $195.

  • Adjusted for cost of living is $321/hour

    When it comes 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 $321, while the average hourly rate for Virginia lawyers is $344 and non-lawyers is $195.

    For comparison:

    • Delaware has the highest law firm hourly rate at $399, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $215.
    • Delaware has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $432, while Alaska has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $219.

Virginia's Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

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.

  • Utilization rate 30%

    How many hours individual lawyers put towards revenue-generating work. The national average utilization rate was 34%.

    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 25%.

  • Realization rate 89%

    How much revenue–generating work is billed to a client after discounts or canceled fees. The national average realization rate was 87%.

    For comparison: Idaho has the highest realization rate for law firms at 95%, while West Virginia has the lowest realization rate for law firms at 74%.

  • Collection rate 94%

    How much invoiced work gets paid to a law firm. The national average collection rate was 93%.

    For comparison: District of Columbia has the highest collection rate for law firms at 96%, while West Virginia has the lowest collection rate for law firms at 86%.

Virginia’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports

Lawyer Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$344$344
2023 Legal Trends Report$288$288
2022 Legal Trends Report$296$296
2021 Legal Trends Report$288$288
2020 Legal Trends Report$275$275

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$321$321
2023 Legal Trends Report$267$267
2022 Legal Trends Report$274$274
2021 Legal Trends Report$268$268
2020 Legal Trends Report$258$258

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$195$195
2023 Legal Trends Report$161$161
2022 Legal Trends Report$159$159
2021 Legal Trends Report$155$155
2020 Legal Trends Report$157$157
  • About Clio’s Hourly Rate Data for Lawyers (Updated 2024)

    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 $464 and $203 per hour, with the average being $351.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Virginia?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Virginia is $323 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Virginia?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Virginia is $354 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Virginia?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Virginia is $203 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Virginia?

Tax attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Virginia, earning $464 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 $203 per hour on average.