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How much should I charge as a lawyer in Ohio ?

Did you know that lawyers in Ohio typically charge between $113 and $488 per hour, with the average being $268? 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 $113 and $488 per hour, with the average being $268. 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 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$232
Appellate$140
Bankruptcy$315
Business$331
Civil Litigation$277
Civil Rights and Constitutional Law$393
Collections$274
Commercial Sale of Goods$248
Construction$187
Contracts$245
Corporate$324
Criminal$148
Elder Law$316
Employment Labor$302
Family$233
Government$215
Immigration$488
Insurance$186
Intellectual Property$219
Juvenile$113
Mediation and Arbitration$307
Medical Malpractice$211
Other$292
Personal Injury$434
Real Estate$282
Small Claims$250
Tax$275
Traffic Offenses$248
Trusts$314
Wills and Estates$300
Worker's Compensation$195

Hourly Rates for Ohio Law Firms

  • Not adjusted for cost of living is $255/hour

    The average hourly rate for Ohio law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $255. The average hourly rate for Ohio lawyers is $268 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 $279/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 $279, while the average hourly rate for Ohio lawyers is $293 and non-lawyers is $198.

    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.

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 32%

    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 88%

    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%.

Ohio’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$242$242
2022 Legal Trends Report$267$267
2021 Legal Trends Report$262$262
2020 Legal Trends Report$250$250

Law Firm Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$279$279
2023 Legal Trends Report$229$229
2022 Legal Trends Report$252$252
2021 Legal Trends Report$248$248
2020 Legal Trends Report$238$238

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rates

Legal Trends Report
Hourly Rate
Adjusted Hourly Rate
2024 Legal Trends Report$198$198
2023 Legal Trends Report$148$148
2022 Legal Trends Report$155$155
2021 Legal Trends Report$155$155
2020 Legal Trends Report$156$156

  • 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 Ohio?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in Ohio is between $488 and $113 per hour, with the average being $268.

How much does a family lawyer charge in Ohio?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in Ohio is $233 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in Ohio?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in Ohio is $277 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in Ohio?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in Ohio is $148 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in Ohio?

Immigration attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in Ohio, earning $488 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in Ohio?

Juvenile attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in Ohio, earning $113 per hour on average.

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