Methodology: How We Build Fee Ranges
How we build the fee ranges you see on JuristScale.
Sources we use
- Official sources: court filing fee schedules (federal and state), government agencies that set or cap attorney fees (for example, the Social Security Administration's fee agreement cap, VA rules for accredited attorneys and state workers' compensation fee limits) and government filing fees such as USCIS forms.
- Industry data: hourly-rate data by state and practice area from Clio's Legal Trends Report, reader and client surveys, and cost guides from established legal publishers.
- Published prices: online legal services and some law firms publish flat fees; we label these as company prices and cross-check them.
How a range is built
- We collect figures from at least three sources where available, preferring data from the last 12–24 months.
- We separate attorney fees from other costs (court fees, experts, filing fees) so you can see what the lawyer actually charges.
- When sources disagree, we use the overlapping range and explain the gap.
- State pages rely on that state's official fees and rules.
- Worked examples (for instance, contingency fee math on a sample settlement) are illustrations, not predictions.
Limits
Legal fees depend heavily on your state, the lawyer's experience and the facts of your case. Our ranges are a starting point for budgeting and comparing quotes, not a quote. Court fees change; always confirm with the court.
Updates
We review guides at least once a year and whenever fee caps or court fees change. Each guide shows when it was last checked.