How much should I charge as a lawyer in Maine ?

Did you know that lawyers in Maine typically charge between $166 and $485 per hour, with the average being $236? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Maine 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 Maine, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Maine.

Hourly rates in Maine

Lawyers in Maine typically charge between $166 and $485 per hour, with the average being $236. 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 Maine by practice area

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


Practice Area
Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$288
Appellate$178
Bankruptcy$295
Business$301
Civil Litigation$219
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$285
Collections$174
Commercial Sale of Goods$293
ConstructionCurrently unavailable
Contracts$184
Corporate$260
Criminal$169
Elder Law$211
Employment Labor$302
Family$245
Government$205
Immigration$231
Insurance$184
Intellectual Property$260
Juvenile$211
Mediation and Arbitration$238
Medical MalpracticeCurrently unavailable
Other$228
Personal Injury$250
Real Estate$287
Small Claims$166
Tax$278
Traffic OffensesCurrently unavailable
Trusts$485
Wills and Estates$283
Worker's Compensation$285

Hourly Rates for Maine Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $229/hour

    The average hourly rate for Maine law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $229. The average hourly rate for Maine lawyers is $236 and the average for non-lawyers is $181.

    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 $227/hour

    When it comes to adjusted rates by state (rates reflecting the cost of living in each state), the average hourly rate for Maine law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $227, while the average hourly rate for Maine lawyers is $234 and non-lawyers is $179.

    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.

Maine'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 37%

    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 89%

    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%.

Maine’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports

Lawyer Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$234$234
2023 Legal Trends Report$199$199
2022 Legal Trends Report$201$201
2021 Legal Trends Report$183$183
2020 Legal Trends Report$176$176

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$227$227
2023 Legal Trends Report$188$188
2022 Legal Trends Report$191$191
2021 Legal Trends Report$174$174
2020 Legal Trends Report$166$166

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$179$179
2023 Legal Trends Report$134$134
2022 Legal Trends Report$132$132
2021 Legal Trends Report$123$123
2020 Legal Trends Report$109$109
  • 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 Maine?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Maine is between $485 and $166 per hour, with the average being $236.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Maine?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Maine is $245 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Maine?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Maine is $219 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Maine?

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

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Maine?

Trusts attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Maine, earning $485 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Maine?

Small Claims attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Maine, earning $166 per hour on average.