How much should I charge as a lawyer in Montana ?

Did you know that lawyers in Montana typically charge between $130 and $564 per hour, with the average being $234? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Montana 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 Montana, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Montana.

Hourly rates in Montana

Lawyers in Montana typically charge between $130 and $564 per hour, with the average being $234. 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 Montana by practice area

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


Practice Area
Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$236
AppellateCurrently unavailable
Bankruptcy$294
Business$301
Civil Litigation$246
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$218
Collections$317
Commercial Sale of Goods$263
Construction$223
Contracts$242
Corporate$292
Criminal$130
Elder Law$216
Employment LaborCurrently unavailable
FamilyCurrently unavailable
Government$236
Immigration$284
Insurance$211
Intellectual Property$564
JuvenileCurrently unavailable
Mediation and Arbitration$263
Medical MalpracticeCurrently unavailable
Other$231
Personal Injury$236
Real Estate$286
Small ClaimsCurrently unavailable
Tax$314
Traffic Offenses$138
Trusts$323
Wills and Estates$299
Worker's CompensationCurrently unavailable

Hourly Rates for Montana Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $220/hour

    The average hourly rate for Montana law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $220. The average hourly rate for Montana lawyers is $234 and the average for non-lawyers is $132.

    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 $243/hour

    When it comes to adjusted rates by state (rates reflecting the cost of living in each state), the average hourly rate for Montana law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $243, while the average hourly rate for Montana lawyers is $260 and non-lawyers is $146.

    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.

Montana'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 40%

    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 96%

    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%.

Montana’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports

Lawyer Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$260$260
2023 Legal Trends Report$217$217
2022 Legal Trends Report$227$227
2021 Legal Trends Report$219$219
2020 Legal Trends Report$208$208

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$243$243
2023 Legal Trends Report$204$204
2022 Legal Trends Report$209$209
2021 Legal Trends Report$204$204
2020 Legal Trends Report$194$194

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$146$146
2023 Legal Trends Report$121$121
2022 Legal Trends Report$122$122
2021 Legal Trends Report$122$122
2020 Legal Trends Report$118$118
  • 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 Montana?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Montana is between $564 and $130 per hour, with the average being $234.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Montana?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Montana is $Currently unavailable per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Montana?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Montana is $246 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Montana?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Montana is $130 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Montana?

Intellectual Property attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Montana, earning $564 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Montana?

Criminal attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Montana, earning $130 per hour on average.