How much should I charge as a lawyer in Vermont ?

Did you know that lawyers in Vermont typically charge between $132 and $415 per hour, with the average being $235? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Vermont 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 Vermont, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Vermont.

Hourly rates in Vermont

Lawyers in Vermont typically charge between $132 and $415 per hour, with the average being $235. 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 Vermont by practice area

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


Practice Area Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$208
Appellate$213
Bankruptcy$252
Business$347
Civil Litigation$259
Civil Rights | Constitutional Law$250
Collections$253
Commercial | Sale of Goods$228
ConstructionCurrently unavailable
Contracts$253
Corporate$215
Criminal$238
Elder LawCurrently unavailable
Employment | Labor$367
Family$256
Government$209
ImmigrationCurrently unavailable
Insurance$139
Intellectual Property$279
Juvenile$132
Mediation | Arbitration$333
Medical MalpracticeCurrently unavailable
Other$253
Personal Injury$213
Real Estate$258
Small Claims$193
Tax$415
Traffic Offenses$248
Trusts$355
Wills & Estates$247
Worker's Compensation$246

Vermont's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for Vermont law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $220. The average hourly rate for Vermont lawyers is $235 and the average for non-lawyers is $108.

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.


Vermont'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 Vermont law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $218, while the average hourly rate for Vermont lawyers is $232 and non-lawyers is $107.

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.

Vermont'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%.

Vermont's utilization rate

The utilization rate for Vermont law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 30%.

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%.

Vermont's realization rate

The realization rate for Vermont law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 88%.

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%.

Vermont's collection rate

The collection rate for Vermont law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 92%.

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%.

Vermont’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$235$232
2021 Legal Trends Report$224$221
2020 Legal Trends Report$222$219
2019 Legal Trends Report$215$213
2018 Legal Trends Report$210$208

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2022 Legal Trends Report$220$218
2021 Legal Trends Report$213$210
2020 Legal Trends Report$209$207
2019 Legal Trends Report$205$202
2018 Legal Trends Report$203$200

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2022 Legal Trends Report$108$107
2021 Legal Trends Report$111$110
2020 Legal Trends Report$105$104
2019 Legal Trends Report$89$88
2018 Legal Trends Report$88$87
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 Vermont?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Vermont is between $415 and $132 per hour, with the average being $235.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Vermont?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Vermont is $256 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Vermont?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Vermont is $259 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Vermont?

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

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Vermont?

Tax attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Vermont, earning $415 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Vermont?

Juvenile attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Vermont, earning $132 per hour on average.