How much should I charge as a lawyer in Louisiana ?

Did you know that lawyers in Louisiana typically charge between $151 and $360 per hour, with the average being $266? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Louisiana 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 Louisiana, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Louisiana.

Hourly rates in Louisiana

Lawyers in Louisiana typically charge between $151 and $360 per hour, with the average being $266. 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 Louisiana by practice area

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


Practice Area
Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$252
Appellate$167
Bankruptcy$322
Business$299
Civil Litigation$244
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$265
Collections$252
Commercial Sale of Goods$261
Construction$263
Contracts$262
Corporate$360
Criminal$326
Elder Law$275
Employment Labor$267
Family$274
Government$210
Immigration$269
Insurance$218
Intellectual Property$204
JuvenileCurrently unavailable
Mediation and Arbitration$341
Medical Malpractice$187
Other$272
Personal Injury$235
Real Estate$296
Small Claims$250
Tax$339
Traffic Offenses$290
Trusts$287
Wills and Estates$297
Worker's Compensation$151

Hourly Rates for Louisiana Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $244/hour

    The average hourly rate for Louisiana law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $244. The average hourly rate for Louisiana lawyers is $266 and the average for non-lawyers is $113.

    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 $270/hour

    When it comes to adjusted rates by state (rates reflecting the cost of living in each state), the average hourly rate for Louisiana law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $270, while the average hourly rate for Louisiana lawyers is $293 and non-lawyers is $125.

    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.

Louisiana'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 81%

    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 93%

    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%.

Louisiana’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$268$268
2022 Legal Trends Report$274$274
2021 Legal Trends Report$267$267
2020 Legal Trends Report$257$257

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$270$270
2023 Legal Trends Report$247$247
2022 Legal Trends Report$251$251
2021 Legal Trends Report$241$241
2020 Legal Trends Report$239$239

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$125$125
2023 Legal Trends Report$114$114
2022 Legal Trends Report$109$109
2021 Legal Trends Report$108$108
2020 Legal Trends Report$101$101
  • 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 Louisiana?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Louisiana is between $360 and $151 per hour, with the average being $266.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Louisiana?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Louisiana is $274 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Louisiana?

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

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Louisiana?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Louisiana is $326 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Louisiana?

Corporate attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Louisiana, earning $360 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Louisiana?

Worker's Compensation attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Louisiana, earning $151 per hour on average.