How We Estimate Attorney Costs
Estimate model: attorney-estimates-v1.0 · Reviewed 2026-08-25
LawLintel keeps two kinds of numbers strictly separate. Official fees — filing fees, statutory commissions, court-published schedules — come from government sources and are cited at the fact level. Market figures — what attorneys and services typically charge — are editorial estimates, and this page documents where they come from.
The published sources behind our ranges
| Topic | Source | Reported figures |
|---|---|---|
| Divorce | Martindale-Nolo Research consumer survey (via DivorceNet) | Average total attorney fees $11,300 for full-scope representation; average hourly rate paid $270; DIY divorce averaged $1,170 (2019 survey; Clio's 2023 family-law average rate $312/hr cited alongside) |
| Chapter 7 bankruptcy | Martindale-Nolo reader survey (via Nolo) | Average flat fee $1,450; typical range $1,000–$1,750 (2020 survey; Nolo notes fees likely ~25% higher by 2023–24) |
| Chapter 13 bankruptcy | US Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California — presumptive ('no-look') fee schedule | Base no-look fee up to $7,000 (non-business) / $8,500 (business) for cases filed on/after May 1, 2024 |
| Chapter 13 bankruptcy | US Bankruptcy Court, District of Utah — General Order 24-002 | Presumptive fees $2,800–$5,100 by case factors, effective Jan 1, 2025 |
| Chapter 13 bankruptcy | US Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Indiana — General Order 25-0001 | Presumed reasonable fee $5,000 for cases filed on/after Dec 1, 2025 (raised from $4,500) |
| Probate & hourly rates | Nolo — Probate Lawyers' Fees and Billing | Typical hourly rates $150–$200 in smaller markets, $250+ in larger cities; CA statutory fee example: $13,000 on a $500,000 estate |
| General hourly rates | Clio Legal Trends Report — lawyer rates by state | National average lawyer hourly rate $349 (2025 data); bankruptcy $460/hr, trusts $397/hr, wills & estates $371/hr, family $344/hr |
How the ranges are built
Each range we publish (for example, "Chapter 7 attorney: $1,000–$2,500" or "contested divorce: $5,000–$25,000+") is synthesized from the sources above rather than taken from any single law firm's pricing: consumer-survey averages anchor the typical figure, court-published presumptive fees anchor bankruptcy ranges, and hourly-rate data (Clio) sanity-checks the spread between low-cost and high-cost markets. Where survey data is older, we widen the range upward rather than presenting a stale midpoint as current.
Limitations — read this part
These are national ranges. Real quotes vary with geography (metro rates run well above the averages), case complexity, and the individual professional — a heavily contested custody case or an adversary proceeding in bankruptcy can exceed our high figures substantially. Estimates are planning context, not quotes and not a substitute for asking two or three local professionals what they would charge. Chapter 13 fees are usually paid through the repayment plan rather than up front; each federal district publishes its own presumptive fee.
Versioning
Estimate ranges carry model version attorney-estimates-v1.0. When we revise a range or add sources, the version increments and this page records what changed. The same rule applies to our calculators, each of which publishes its own model version and assumptions. See also the general methodology.