The survey conducted by legal costs lawyer Jim Diamond shows that top-tier partners were charged out at rates of between £400 and £475 an hour. In 2010 the survey reported that the top end lawyers were being charged out at between £475 and £575 an hour.
In mid-range firms, the charge out rate for partners stayed at between £325 and £400 an hour.
In the top-tier firms, lawyers who are not partners but have at least five years’ post-qualification experience are charged out at between £300 and £375 an hour – the same as last year. In mid-range firms, these types of lawyer cost a client between £250 and £300 an hour.
Newly qualified advocates are also charged out at the same rates as last year. In top-tier firms the charge-out rates are between £285 and £325 an hour and in mid-range practices they cost between £225 and £250 an hour.
