Lawyer costs and court fees by state
By Javi Pérez, independent researcher (not a lawyer)
How to use this page
Each state guide lists that state's small claims limit and filing fee, general civil and divorce filing fees, personal injury filing deadline, attorney fee caps, fee-dispute program and free legal help, each linked to the official source we checked. A dash means we have not verified that figure yet; we leave it blank rather than estimate it.
| State | Small claims limit | Injury filing deadline | Avg. lawyer rate (Clio) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $6,000 | 2 yr | — |
| Alaska | $10,000 | 2 yr | — |
| Arizona | $5,000 | 2 yr | — |
| Arkansas | $5,000 | 3 yr | — |
| California | $12,500 | 2 yr | $422 |
| Colorado | $7,500 | 2 yr | — |
| Connecticut | $5,000 | 2 yr | — |
| Delaware | $25,000 | 2 yr | — |
| Florida | $8,000 | 2 yr | $353 |
| Georgia | $15,000 | 2 yr | $369 |
| Hawaii | $5,000 | 2 yr | — |
| Idaho | $15,000 | 2 yr | — |
| Illinois | $10,000 | 2 yr | $350 |
| Indiana | $10,000 | 2 yr | — |
| Iowa | $6,500 | 2 yr | — |
| Kansas | $10,000 | 2 yr | — |
| Kentucky | $2,500 | 1 yr | — |
| Louisiana | $5,000 | — | — |
| Maine | $10,000 | 6 yr | — |
| Maryland | $5,000 | 3 yr | — |
| Massachusetts | $7,000 | 3 yr | — |
| Michigan | $7,000 | 3 yr | $297 |
| Minnesota | $20,000 | 6 yr | — |
| Mississippi | $3,500 | 3 yr | — |
| Missouri | $5,000 | 5 yr | — |
| Montana | $7,000 | 3 yr | — |
| Nebraska | $7,500 | 4 yr | — |
| Nevada | $10,000 | 2 yr | — |
| New Hampshire | $10,000 | 3 yr | — |
| New Jersey | — | 2 yr | — |
| New Mexico | $10,000 | 3 yr | — |
| New York | $10,000 | 3 yr | $426 |
| North Carolina | $10,000 | 3 yr | $316 |
| North Dakota | $15,000 | 6 yr | — |
| Ohio | $6,000 | 2 yr | $276 |
| Oklahoma | $10,000 | — | — |
| Oregon | $10,000 | 2 yr | — |
| Pennsylvania | $12,000 | — | $311 |
| Rhode Island | $5,000 | 3 yr | — |
| South Carolina | $7,500 | 3 yr | — |
| South Dakota | $12,000 | 3 yr | — |
| Tennessee | $25,000 | 1 yr | — |
| Texas | $20,000 | 2 yr | $366 |
| Utah | $20,000 | 4 yr | — |
| Vermont | $10,000 | 3 yr | — |
| Virginia | $5,000 | 2 yr | — |
| Washington | $10,000 | 3 yr | — |
| West Virginia | $20,000 | 2 yr | — |
| Wisconsin | $10,000 | 3 yr | — |
| Wyoming | — | 4 yr | — |
Average rates are from Clio's 2025 Legal Trends data, which publishes state figures for only some states (national average $349/hour). Small claims limits and deadlines link to statutes and court pages on each state guide.