How much should I charge as a lawyer in North Dakota ?

Did you know that lawyers in North Dakota typically charge between $187 and $528 per hour, with the average being $253? Understanding how your hourly rate compares to other lawyers in North Dakota 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 North Dakota, average hourly rates by practice area, hourly rates adjusted for cost of living, and the utilization, realization, and collection rates in North Dakota.

Hourly rates in North Dakota

Lawyers in North Dakota typically charge between $187 and $528 per hour, with the average being $253. For comparison, District of Columbia has the highest average hourly rate at $392 while West Virginia has the lowest average hourly rate at $162.


Hourly rates in North Dakota by practice area

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


Practice Area Average Hourly Rate
Administrative$365
Appellate$300
Bankruptcy$200
Business$336
Civil Litigation$280
Civil Rights and Constitutional LawCurrently unavailable
Collections$273
Commercial Sale of Goods$202
Construction$301
Contracts$311
Corporate$345
Criminal$261
Elder Law$440
Employment Labor$343
Family$266
Government$227
Immigration$297
Insurance$295
Intellectual PropertyCurrently unavailable
JuvenileCurrently unavailable
Mediation and ArbitrationCurrently unavailable
Medical MalpracticeCurrently unavailable
Other$309
Personal Injury$187
Real Estate$321
Small Claims$204
Tax$335
Traffic OffensesCurrently unavailable
Trusts$528
Wills and Estates$273
Worker's CompensationCurrently unavailable

North Dakota's hourly rates not adjusted for cost of living

The average hourly rate for North Dakota law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $231. The average hourly rate for North Dakota lawyers is $253 and the average for non-lawyers is $145.

For comparison:

  • District of Columbia has the highest law firm hourly rate at $365, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $160.
  • District of Columbia has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $392, while West Virginia has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $162.


North Dakota's hourly rates adjusted for cost of living

When it come to adjusted rates by state (rates reflecting the cost of living in each state), the average hourly rate for North Dakota law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is $254, while the average hourly rate for North Dakota lawyers is $277 and non-lawyers is $159.

For comparison:

  • District of Columbia has the highest law firm hourly rate at $328, while West Virginia has the lowest law firm hourly rate at $176.
  • District of Columbia has the highest lawyer hourly rates at $352, while Alabama has the lowest lawyer hourly rate at $178.

North Dakota's utilization, realization, and collection rates

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.

Lawyers should be familiar with the following KPIs:

  1. Utilization rate: How many hours individual lawyers put towards revenue-generating work. The national average utilization rate was 33%.
  2. Realization rate: How much revenue–generating work is billed to a client after discounts or canceled fees. The national average realization rate was 86%.
  3. Collection rate: How much invoiced work gets paid to a law firm. The national average collection rate was 90%.

North Dakota's utilization rate

The utilization rate for North Dakota law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 30%.

For comparison:
  • Nebraska has the highest utilization rate for law firms at 43%, while Arkansas has the lowest utilization rate for law firms at 26%.

North Dakota's realization rate

The realization rate for North Dakota law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 94%.

For comparison:
  • Vermont has the highest realization rate for law firms at 95%, while District of Columbia has the lowest realization rate for law firms at 70%.

North Dakota's collection rate

The collection rate for North Dakota law firms (which includes both lawyers and non-lawyers) is 93%.

For comparison:
  • Vermont has the highest collection rate for law firms at 95%, while Rhode Island has the lowest collection rate for law firms at 81%.

North Dakota’s hourly rates over the last five reports

Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Lawyers
2023 Legal Trends Report$253$277
2022 Legal Trends Report$268$293
2021 Legal Trends Report$264$289
2020 Legal Trends Report$256$280
2019 Legal Trends Report$246$269

Law Firm Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Law FirmsAdjusted Hourly Rates for Law Firms
2023 Legal Trends Report$231$254
2022 Legal Trends Report$245$268
2021 Legal Trends Report$246$269
2020 Legal Trends Report$234$256
2019 Legal Trends Report$228$249

Non-Lawyer Hourly Rate/Adjusted Hourly Rate

Legal Trends ReportHourly Rates for Non-LawyersAdjusted Hourly Rates for Non-Lawyers
2023 Legal Trends Report$145$159
2022 Legal Trends Report$154$168
2021 Legal Trends Report$164$179
2020 Legal Trends Report$153$168
2019 Legal Trends Report$160$175
Legal Trends Report

About Clio’s Hourly Rate Data for Lawyers (Updated 2023)

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 North Dakota?

The hourly rate for a lawyer in North Dakota is between $528 and $187 per hour, with the average being $253.

How much does a family lawyer charge in North Dakota?

The average hourly rate for a family lawyer in North Dakota is $266 per hour.

How much does a civil litigation lawyer charge in North Dakota?

The average hourly rate for a civil litigation lawyer in North Dakota is $280 per hour.

How much does a criminal lawyer charge in North Dakota?

The average hourly rate for a criminal lawyer in North Dakota is $261 per hour.

What is the highest paid type of lawyer in North Dakota?

Trusts attorneys are the highest paid type of lawyer in North Dakota, earning $528 per hour on average.

What is the lowest paid type of lawyer in North Dakota?

Personal Injury attorneys are the lowest paid type of lawyer in North Dakota, earning $187 per hour on average.