How much should I charge as a lawyer in Washington ?

Did you know that lawyers in Washington typically charge between $159 and $432 per hour, with the average being $322? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Washington 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 Washington, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Washington.

Hourly rates in Washington

Lawyers in Washington typically charge between $159 and $432 per hour, with the average being $322. 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 Washington by practice area

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


Practice Area
Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$238
Appellate$350
Bankruptcy$406
Business$376
Civil Litigation$323
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$336
Collections$380
Commercial Sale of Goods$376
Construction$368
Contracts$348
Corporate$385
Criminal$169
Elder Law$325
Employment Labor$347
Family$307
Government$271
Immigration$389
Insurance$219
Intellectual Property$422
Juvenile$159
Mediation and Arbitration$325
Medical Malpractice$217
Other$321
Personal Injury$322
Real Estate$359
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
Tax$432
Traffic Offenses$217
Trusts$348
Wills and Estates$359
Worker's Compensation$355

Hourly Rates for Washington Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $290/hour

    The average hourly rate for Washington law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $290. The average hourly rate for Washington lawyers is $322 and the average for non-lawyers is $173.

    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 $264/hour

    When it comes to adjusted rates by state (rates reflecting the cost of living in each state), the average hourly rate for Washington law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $264, while the average hourly rate for Washington lawyers is $293 and non-lawyers is $157.

    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.

Washington'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 34%

    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 92%

    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%.

Washington’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports

Lawyer Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$293$293
2023 Legal Trends Report$264$264
2022 Legal Trends Report$285$285
2021 Legal Trends Report$276$276
2020 Legal Trends Report$269$269

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$264$264
2023 Legal Trends Report$237$237
2022 Legal Trends Report$254$254
2021 Legal Trends Report$248$248
2020 Legal Trends Report$242$242

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$157$157
2023 Legal Trends Report$136$136
2022 Legal Trends Report$151$151
2021 Legal Trends Report$144$144
2020 Legal Trends Report$139$139
  • 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 Washington?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Washington is between $432 and $159 per hour, with the average being $322.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Washington?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Washington is $307 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Washington?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Washington is $323 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Washington?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Washington is $169 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Washington?

Tax attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Washington, earning $432 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Washington?

Juvenile attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Washington, earning $159 per hour on average.