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How much can a lawyer charge at a maximum?

I was wondering what the maximum and minimum that a lawyer can charge #law #lawyer

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Justin’s Answer

Many lawyers don't have control over how much they charge, or even charge at all - either because they work for a law firm that decides how much they will charge for each lawyer's services, or because they work for a business and aren't billing by the hour. Many other lawyers work for the government and don't charge by the hour.

The amount a lawyer charges per hour also doesn't necessarily reflect how much money the lawyer is actually paid. Depending on the market, the cost of lawyer's overhead will vary. So if your question is more about how much a lawyer makes, you should focus more on how much their salaries are, rather than how much they charge.
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Kim’s Answer

The minimum that a lawyer charges is nothing. They work for free (pro-bono). Or sometimes they will take cases on a contingency fee basis. This means that the lawyer does not get paid unless he wins the case.


There is no maximum fee. The state bar sets a code of ethics, and say that lawyers will not charge an "unconscienable" fee, but this is very loosely enforced. Most lawyers I know charge $200-$300 hour, but I've heard of fees as high as $1200/hour.


They can also charge by the case. So, they might charge $800 to write a will, or handle a simple divorce. (one that is not contested, there is no property or children, etc).


The local market also affects rates. If all the other lawyers are charging much less than you, you will need to lower your rates, unless you are so good at what you do that people don't mind paying more.


hope this helps!
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