Free Legal Fee & Billing Calculators
The arithmetic behind a legal fee, in the open
Four calculators for pricing legal work: build an estimate by timekeeper level, follow recorded time through to collected cash, size a retainer that does not run out mid-matter, and price a flat fee with enough headroom to survive an overrun.
Legal Fee Calculator
Build a fee estimate from hours at each timekeeper level, plus expenses, a contingency allowance and tax.
Result
Total estimate
$32,760
Blended hourly rate
$342.86
- Professional fees
- $26,400
- Partner fees
- $7,800
- Associate fees
- $15,300
- Paralegal fees
- $3,300
- Contingency allowance
- $3,960
- Expenses
- $2,400
- Total hours
- 77
- Partner share of fees
- 29.55%
This tool performs arithmetic on the values you enter. It does not provide legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.
The blended rate is the single number clients remember. Shifting work to the right timekeeper level moves it more than any rate change.
A contingency allowance covers scope that is likely but not yet defined. State it separately in the estimate so the client can see what it is for.
Fee estimate by timekeeper
| Level | Hours | Rate | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partner | 12 | $650 | $7,800 |
| Associate | 45 | $340 | $15,300 |
| Paralegal | 20 | $165 | $3,300 |
Read the full guide, worked examples and FAQ for this calculator →
Popular tools
The calculators visitors to LegalCalculatorTools open most often.
- Billing & Fees
Legal Fee Calculator
Build a fee estimate from hours at each timekeeper level, plus expenses, a contingency allowance and tax.
Open calculator → - Time & Utilization
Billable Hours Calculator
Turn a daily billable target into annual hours and, more usefully, into the cash that actually reaches the firm after write-downs and collection.
Open calculator → - Billing & Fees
Legal Retainer Calculator
Size a retainer against the work expected, and set a replenishment trigger that keeps the matter moving.
Open calculator → - Billing & Fees
Flat Fee Pricing Calculator
Price a flat fee from your internal cost, a target margin and a risk buffer, and see how far the matter can overrun before it stops covering cost.
Open calculator →
Legal pricing looks opaque from both sides of the desk. Clients see a total with no visible construction; firms discover after the fact that the matter was priced against a rate card rather than against what the work actually costs.
These calculators show the working. None of them tells you what to charge or what a matter should cost - that depends on the market, the client and the work. What they do is make the arithmetic visible so the decision is an informed one.
Browse by category
Billing & Fees
Fee estimates, invoices, retainers and flat-fee pricing.
Why use LegalCalculatorTools
Fees built by timekeeper level
A blended rate is decided by staffing, not by the rate card. Seeing the split shows which lever actually moves the price a client experiences.
From recorded time to cash
Realization and collection multiply. The gap between hours recorded and money received is routinely a fifth of the year, and it is invisible if you only track hours.
Retainers that do not stall
A replenishment trigger set well above zero means funds are requested before they run out, rather than after the work has stopped.
Flat fees with stated headroom
A fixed fee transfers overrun risk to the firm. The headroom figure shows how far a matter can run over before that stops being sustainable.
How it works
- Pick the calculator matching the pricing question in front of you.
- Enter your own rates, hours and percentages - the defaults are illustrative, not benchmarks.
- Read the result along with the assumptions listed beneath it.
- Copy or download the breakdown to take into an engagement letter or a fee conversation.
Frequently asked questions
Is this legal advice?
No. This site provides general informational and productivity tools and does not provide legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. It performs arithmetic on figures you enter.
Can you tell me what a lawyer should charge?
No. Rates depend on jurisdiction, practice area, seniority and market. These tools work from rates you supply so you can see what they produce.
Why does the effective rate differ from my hourly rate?
Because some recorded time is written down before invoicing and some invoices are never paid. The effective rate is what an hour of recorded time is actually worth after both.
Are retainer rules the same everywhere?
No. How client funds must be held, whether a retainer can be earned on receipt, and what happens to an unused balance are all governed by professional conduct rules that differ by jurisdiction.
Is anything I enter stored?
No. Every calculation runs inside your browser. Nothing is transmitted to a server, and there is no account to create.