Skip to content

How much should I charge as a lawyer in Ohio ?

Did you know that lawyers in Ohio typically charge between $121 and $423 per hour, with the average being $276? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in Ohio 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 Ohio, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in Ohio.

Hourly rates in Ohio

Lawyers in Ohio typically charge between $121 and $423 per hour, with the average being $276. For comparison, District of Columbia has the highest average hourly rate at $490 while West Virginia has the lowest average hourly rate at $196.

Hourly rates in Ohio by practice area

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


Practice Area
Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$245
Appellate$121
Bankruptcy$348
Business$358
Civil Litigation$295
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$423
Collections$261
Commercial Sale of Goods$329
Construction$312
Contracts$387
Corporate$356
Criminal$125
Elder Law$244
Employment Labor$351
Family$267
Government$168
Immigration$416
Insurance$210
Intellectual Property$339
Juvenile$153
Mediation and Arbitration$361
Medical Malpractice$298
Other$358
Personal Injury$400
Real Estate$299
Small Claims$290
Tax$304
Traffic Offenses$125
Trusts$302
Wills and Estates$316
Worker's Compensation$202

Hourly Rates for Ohio Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $250/hour

    The average hourly rate for Ohio law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $250. The average hourly rate for Ohio lawyers is $276 and the average for non-lawyers is $144.

    For comparison:

    • District of Columbia has the highest law firm hourly rate at $454, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $185.
    • District of Columbia has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $490, while West Virginia has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $196.

  • 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 Ohio law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $272, while the average hourly rate for Ohio lawyers is $301 and non-lawyers is $157.

    For comparison:

    • Delaware has the highest law firm hourly rate at $421, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $206.
    • Delaware has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $475, while Alaska has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $218.

Ohio'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 35%

    How many hours individual lawyers put towards revenue-generating work. The national average utilization rate was 37%.

    For comparison: Nebraska has the highest utilization rate for law firms at 46%, while Arkansas has the lowest utilization rate for law firms at 29%.

  • Realization rate 83%

    How much revenue–generating work is billed to a client after discounts or canceled fees. The national average realization rate was 86%.

    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: Delaware has the highest collection rate for law firms at 97%, while Arkansas has the lowest collection rate for law firms at 87%.

Ohio’s Rates Over the Last Five Reports

Lawyer Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2025 Legal Trends Report$276$301
2024 Legal Trends Report$268$293
2023 Legal Trends Report$224$242
2022 Legal Trends Report$238$267
2021 Legal Trends Report$234$262

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2025 Legal Trends Report$250$272
2024 Legal Trends Report$255$279
2023 Legal Trends Report$212$229
2022 Legal Trends Report$224$252
2021 Legal Trends Report$221$248

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2025 Legal Trends Report$144$157
2024 Legal Trends Report$181$198
2023 Legal Trends Report$137$148
2022 Legal Trends Report$139$155
2021 Legal Trends Report$138$155

  • About Clio’s Hourly Rate Data for Lawyers (Updated 2025)

    Clio's Hourly Rate Data is based on aggregated and anonymized data from tens of thousands of legal professionals. 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 Ohio?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Ohio is between $423 and $121 per hour, with the average being $276.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Ohio?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Ohio is $267 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Ohio?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Ohio is $295 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Ohio?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Ohio is $125 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Ohio?

Civil Rights and Constitutional Law attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Ohio, earning $423 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Ohio?

Appellate attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Ohio, earning $121 per hour on average.

Explore Lawyer Rates From Across the U.S.A.