All legal cost guides

Hiring a lawyer and paying fees

• How much does a lawyer cost?Clio's 2025 Legal Trends data puts the average U.S.
• Do lawyers charge for consultations?Some lawyers offer a free first consultation, especially firms that work on contingency, while others charge a flat fee or bill the meeting at their hourly rate.
• Hourly vs. flat fee: which lawyer fee is better for you?A flat fee fixes the price of a defined task, so the risk of extra hours sits with the lawyer; hourly billing charges for the time actually spent, so that risk sits with you.
• How does a contingency fee work?With a contingency fee the lawyer takes an agreed percentage of any money recovered and charges no fee if nothing is recovered, although case costs may still be owed depending on the agreement.
• How to find a contingency fee lawyerThe most reliable starting point is your state bar's lawyer referral service, which screens participating lawyers and in some states caps the cost of the first consultation.
• Can I afford a lawyer? Your options when money is tightIf your household income is at or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines ($19,950 for one person or $41,250 for a family of four in 2026, higher in Alaska and Hawaii), you may qualify for free c…
• Free legal aid: who qualifies, what it covers and where to applyPrograms funded by the Legal Services Corporation generally serve households with income at or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines: in 2026 that is $19,950 a year for one person and $41,250 f…

Courts, lawsuits and disputes

• How much does it cost to sue someone?Filing a new civil case in federal district court costs $405, and state trial courts charge their own fees, such as $435 for an unlimited civil case in California or $210 for an index number in New York Supreme Court.
• How much does small claims court cost?Small claims filing fees run from $20 (North Dakota, Montana) to $295 (Florida claims over $2,500), and many states charge more as the claim grows.
• How much does mediation cost?Court-connected mediation can cost little or nothing: Florida's court programs charge $60 or $120 per person per session in family cases depending on combined income, and volunteer mediators in the fe…
• How much does a class action lawsuit cost a class member?Class members normally pay nothing out of pocket.

Family law

• How much does a divorce lawyer cost?Divorce lawyers usually bill hourly against a retainer; Clio's 2025 data puts the average family-law rate at $344 per hour, so total cost depends mostly on how many hours the dispute takes.
• How much does a child custody lawyer cost?Custody lawyers bill hourly against a retainer, and Clio's 2025 average family-law rate is $344 per hour; contingency fees are not allowed.

Wills, estates and documents

• How much does a will cost?A will can cost nothing (FreeWill is free) or about $109 to $219 with Nolo's WillMaker plans (prices checked October 11, 2026).
• How much does an estate planning lawyer cost?Estate planning costs come in two bills: the plan you pay for now and the probate or trust administration your family pays later.
• How much does a power of attorney cost?The signing formalities for a power of attorney are inexpensive (a California notary may charge up to $15 per signature), so the cost is mostly legal time.
• How much does a notary cost?Notary fees are capped by state law. In the 16 states we verified, the maximum for an in-person act runs from $2 (Georgia, New York) to $15 (California, Nevada, Washington).

Criminal defense

• How much does a criminal defense lawyer cost?Criminal defense lawyers charge a flat fee for misdemeanors and routine cases or bill hourly against a retainer for serious felonies; contingency fees are prohibited.
• How much does a DUI lawyer cost?DUI lawyers usually charge a flat fee for a first offense, with trial and the license hearing often billed separately; Clio's 2025 average for traffic-offense lawyers is $326 per hour.
• How much does a federal criminal defense lawyer cost?If you cannot afford a lawyer in federal court, the judge appoints a federal defender or a CJA panel lawyer at no cost or partial cost to you; there is no fixed income cutoff.
• How much does a white-collar crime lawyer cost?White-collar defense is usually billed hourly against an advance retainer, never on contingency, and costs are driven by document review, forensic accounting, parallel regulatory cases and whether the case goes to trial.
• How much does a drug trafficking lawyer cost?Drug trafficking defense is billed as a flat fee per phase or hourly against a retainer, never on contingency, and the total depends on the court (state or federal), the evidence and whether the case goes to trial.

Injury and accident claims

• How much does a personal injury lawyer cost?Most personal injury lawyers charge a contingency fee: a percentage of the recovery and nothing if there is no recovery.
• How much does a motorcycle accident lawyer cost?Motorcycle accident lawyers almost always work on contingency: a percentage of the recovery, commonly quoted at one-third, and nothing if there is no recovery.
• How much does a truck accident lawyer cost?Truck and 18-wheeler accident lawyers almost always work on contingency, commonly quoted at one-third and often stepping up if suit is filed; Michigan caps injury fees at one-third and Florida and Con…
• How much does an Uber or Lyft accident lawyer cost?Rideshare accident lawyers usually charge a contingency fee, commonly quoted at one-third of the recovery and nothing if there is no recovery.
• How much does a medical malpractice lawyer cost?Medical malpractice lawyers work on contingency, but many states cap their fees: California allows 25% before filing and 33% after, Illinois, Utah and Tennessee cap at one-third, and New York, Florida…
• How much does a birth injury lawyer cost?Birth injury lawyers usually charge a contingency fee, but because these are malpractice claims many states cap the fee: California allows 25% before filing and 33% after, and New York and Florida use sliding scales.
• How much does a workers' comp lawyer cost?Workers' comp lawyers for injured workers are usually paid a percentage of benefits obtained, and most states cap that fee and require approval by the comp agency or judge.

Mass torts and large litigation

Status pages for large litigations, dated and sourced. We do not estimate what individual claims are worth.

• How much does a mesothelioma lawyer cost?Mesothelioma and other asbestos lawyers usually work on contingency, taking a percentage of lawsuit and trust recoveries and nothing if there is no recovery.
• How much does a Camp Lejeune lawyer cost?Camp Lejeune lawyers cannot charge more than 20% of an administrative settlement (including Elective Option payments) or 25% of a settlement or judgment after a lawsuit is filed, calculated after offsets.
• How much does a Roundup lawsuit cost, and where does it stand?As of October 2026, Monsanto's proposed $7.25 billion Roundup class settlement (paid over up to 21 years) had preliminary approval from a Missouri judge, a final approval hearing on September 14, 2026…
• How much does a talcum powder lawsuit cost, and where does it stand?Talc claimants usually pay their own lawyer a contingency percentage of any recovery plus case costs.

Work, money and business

• How much does an employment lawyer cost?Employees with discrimination, wage or wrongful termination claims often hire employment lawyers on contingency or a hybrid fee, because Title VII lets courts award fees to winning employees and the FLSA requires them.
• How much does a bankruptcy lawyer cost?Filing bankruptcy costs a $338 court fee for Chapter 7 or $313 for Chapter 13, plus a pre-filing credit counseling course (fees of $50 or less are presumed reasonable and must be waived if you cannot …
• How much does a Social Security disability lawyer cost?Under an SSA-approved fee agreement, a disability representative's fee is the lesser of 25% of your past-due benefits or $9,200, for favorable decisions issued on or after November 30, 2024.
• How much does an immigration lawyer cost?Immigration cases cost USCIS filing fees plus the lawyer's fee.
• How much does a business lawyer cost?The state fee to form an LLC ranges from $50 in Michigan to $200 in New York among the 10 states we verified, but recurring costs can matter more: California charges an $800 annual LLC tax, and New Yo…
• How much does a trademark lawyer cost?The USPTO charges $350 per class to file a trademark application electronically, plus $100 to $200 per class in surcharges for incomplete or custom descriptions, and $150 per class for a statement of …
• How much does a patent lawyer cost?USPTO fees to file a utility patent application total $2,000, or $800 for a small entity and $400 for a micro entity; a provisional application costs $325, $130 or $65.
• How much does a real estate lawyer cost?No federal rule requires a lawyer at closing, but some states do: Georgia's Supreme Court requires a licensed Georgia attorney to close transactions and facilitate deed execution, and North Carolina l…
• How much does a landlord-tenant lawyer cost?Eviction filing fees vary by state: $240 in California for unlawful detainer claims of $10,000 or less ($385 up to $35,000), $180 in Florida and $45 in Delaware's Justice of the Peace Court.