How much should I charge as a lawyer in Indiana ?

Did you know that lawyers in Indiana typically charge between $155 and $448 per hour, with the average being $278? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Indiana 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 Indiana, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Indiana.

Hourly rates in Indiana

Lawyers in Indiana typically charge between $155 and $448 per hour, with the average being $278. 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 Indiana by practice area

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


Practice Area
Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$265
Appellate$205
Bankruptcy$337
Business$328
Civil Litigation$244
Civil Rights and Constitutional LawCurrently unavailable
Collections$286
Commercial Sale of Goods$353
Construction$225
Contracts$291
Corporate$307
Criminal$219
Elder Law$239
Employment Labor$392
Family$257
Government$233
Immigration$448
Insurance$190
Intellectual Property$339
Juvenile$250
Mediation and Arbitration$250
Medical Malpractice$178
Other$246
Personal Injury$287
Real Estate$298
Small Claims$253
Tax$446
Traffic Offenses$217
Trusts$308
Wills and Estates$308
Worker's Compensation$155

Hourly Rates for Indiana Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $264/hour

    The average hourly rate for Indiana law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $264. The average hourly rate for Indiana lawyers is $278 and the average for non-lawyers is $174.

    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 $288/hour

    When it comes to adjusted rates by state (rates reflecting the cost of living in each state), the average hourly rate for Indiana law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $288, while the average hourly rate for Indiana lawyers is $303 and non-lawyers is $189.

    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.

Indiana'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 33%

    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 83%

    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 90%

    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%.

Indiana’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports

Lawyer Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$303$303
2023 Legal Trends Report$261$261
2022 Legal Trends Report$275$275
2021 Legal Trends Report$261$261
2020 Legal Trends Report$255$255

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$288$288
2023 Legal Trends Report$243$243
2022 Legal Trends Report$255$255
2021 Legal Trends Report$244$244
2020 Legal Trends Report$238$238

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$189$189
2023 Legal Trends Report$144$144
2022 Legal Trends Report$146$146
2021 Legal Trends Report$143$143
2020 Legal Trends Report$141$141
  • 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 Indiana?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Indiana is between $448 and $155 per hour, with the average being $278.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Indiana?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Indiana is $257 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Indiana?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Indiana is $244 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Indiana?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Indiana is $219 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Indiana?

Immigration attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Indiana, earning $448 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Indiana?

Worker's Compensation attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Indiana, earning $155 per hour on average.