How much should I charge as a lawyer in Colorado ?

Did you know that lawyers in Colorado typically charge between $187 and $411 per hour, with the average being $302? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Colorado 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 Colorado, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Colorado.

Hourly rates in Colorado

Lawyers in Colorado typically charge between $187 and $411 per hour, with the average being $302. 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 Colorado by practice area

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


Practice Area
Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$295
Appellate$241
Bankruptcy$313
Business$361
Civil Litigation$313
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$409
Collections$240
Commercial Sale of Goods$381
Construction$255
Contracts$273
Corporate$396
Criminal$268
Elder Law$230
Employment Labor$355
Family$312
Government$246
Immigration$296
Insurance$187
Intellectual Property$411
Juvenile$228
Mediation and Arbitration$363
Medical Malpractice$246
Other$263
Personal Injury$252
Real Estate$354
Small Claims$215
Tax$387
Traffic Offenses$404
Trusts$320
Wills and Estates$346
Worker's Compensation$327

Hourly Rates for Colorado Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $279/hour

    The average hourly rate for Colorado law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $279. The average hourly rate for Colorado lawyers is $302 and the average for non-lawyers is $169.

    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 $272/hour

    When it comes to adjusted rates by state (rates reflecting the cost of living in each state), the average hourly rate for Colorado law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $272, while the average hourly rate for Colorado lawyers is $295 and non-lawyers is $165.

    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.

Colorado'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 36%

    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 94%

    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 95%

    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%.

Colorado’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports

Lawyer Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$295$295
2023 Legal Trends Report$253$253
2022 Legal Trends Report$265$265
2021 Legal Trends Report$261$261
2020 Legal Trends Report$253$253

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$272$272
2023 Legal Trends Report$229$229
2022 Legal Trends Report$239$239
2021 Legal Trends Report$237$237
2020 Legal Trends Report$230$230

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$165$165
2023 Legal Trends Report$138$138
2022 Legal Trends Report$140$140
2021 Legal Trends Report$136$136
2020 Legal Trends Report$134$134
  • 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 Colorado?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Colorado is between $411 and $187 per hour, with the average being $302.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Colorado?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Colorado is $312 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Colorado?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Colorado is $313 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Colorado?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Colorado is $268 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Colorado?

Intellectual Property attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Colorado, earning $411 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Colorado?

Insurance attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Colorado, earning $187 per hour on average.