How much should I charge as a lawyer in Virginia ?

Did you know that lawyers in Virginia typically charge between $205 and $481 per hour, with the average being $378? 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 $205 and $481 per hour, with the average being $378. For comparison, District of Columbia has the highest average hourly rate at $490 while West Virginia has the lowest average hourly rate at $196.

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$333
Appellate$382
Bankruptcy$419
Business$384
Civil Litigation$370
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$385
Collections$288
Commercial Sale of Goods$404
Construction$380
Contracts$452
Corporate$368
Criminal$241
Elder Law$377
Employment Labor$391
Family$351
GovernmentCurrently unavailable
Immigration$333
Insurance$285
Intellectual Property$451
JuvenileCurrently unavailable
Mediation and Arbitration$407
Medical Malpractice$348
Other$297
Personal Injury$397
Real Estate$382
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
Tax$481
Traffic Offenses$420
Trusts$377
Wills and Estates$433
Worker's Compensation$205

Hourly Rates for Virginia Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $342/hour

    The average hourly rate for Virginia law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $342. The average hourly rate for Virginia lawyers is $378 and the average for non-lawyers is $200.

    For comparison:

    • District of Columbia has the highest law firm hourly rate at $454, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $185.
    • District of Columbia has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $490, while West Virginia has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $196.

  • Adjusted for cost of living is $340/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 $340, while the average hourly rate for Virginia lawyers is $375 and non-lawyers is $198.

    For comparison:

    • Delaware has the highest law firm hourly rate at $421, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $206.
    • Delaware has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $475, while Alaska has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $218.

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 31%

    How many hours individual lawyers put towards revenue-generating work. The national average utilization rate was 37%.

    For comparison: Nebraska has the highest utilization rate for law firms at 46%, while Arkansas has the lowest utilization rate for law firms at 29%.

  • Realization rate 85%

    How much revenue–generating work is billed to a client after discounts or canceled fees. The national average realization rate was 86%.

    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: Delaware has the highest collection rate for law firms at 97%, while Arkansas has the lowest collection rate for law firms at 87%.

Virginia’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports

Lawyer Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2025 Legal Trends Report$378$375
2024 Legal Trends Report$351$344
2023 Legal Trends Report$295$288
2022 Legal Trends Report$304$296
2021 Legal Trends Report$295$288

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2025 Legal Trends Report$342$340
2024 Legal Trends Report$327$321
2023 Legal Trends Report$273$267
2022 Legal Trends Report$281$274
2021 Legal Trends Report$275$268

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2025 Legal Trends Report$200$198
2024 Legal Trends Report$199$195
2023 Legal Trends Report$165$161
2022 Legal Trends Report$163$159
2021 Legal Trends Report$159$155
  • About Clio’s Hourly Rate Data for Lawyers (Updated 2025)

    Clio's Hourly Rate Data is based on aggregated and anonymized data from tens of thousands of legal professionals. 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 $481 and $205 per hour, with the average being $378.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Virginia?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Virginia is $351 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Virginia?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Virginia is $370 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Virginia?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Virginia is $241 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Virginia?

Tax attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Virginia, earning $481 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Virginia?

Worker's Compensation attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Virginia, earning $205 per hour on average.