📚 Legal calculators
The legal calculators cluster covers law-firm practice math: billable utilization, non-billable share, realization, write-off rate, billing discount, blended rate, leverage, matter budget variance, cost recovery, net client recovery, contingency fees, settlement splits, retainer burn, collection rate, case win rate, lodestar (with multiplier), fee contribution margin, prejudgment interest, and effective hourly rate—each on a single-intent URL.
Run legal practice math in one place: utilization, write-offs, billing discounts, blended rates, leverage, budget variance, cost recovery, net-to-client, contingency fees, settlement splits, retainer burn, collections, win rate, lodestar (+ multiplier), contribution margin, prejudgment interest, and effective hourly rate. Educational aids only—not legal advice.
Key facts
| Primary audience | Law firm partners, practice managers, litigators, and legal ops |
|---|---|
| Core formulas | Utilization/realization/write-off rates, blended rates, leverage, lodestar×multiplier, margins |
| Category | Legal practice management / fees / litigation support math |
| Related hubs | Professional KPIs (resource utilization); Finance (simple interest) |
Definitions
Utilization
Billable hours divided by available hours × 100.
Write-off rate
Write-offs divided by standard/worked value × 100.
Realization
Billed or collected amount divided by standard/worked value × 100.
Lodestar
Reasonable hours multiplied by a reasonable hourly rate (optionally × a multiplier).
Formulas
- Utilization %: (billable ÷ available hours) × 100
- Write-off %: (write-offs ÷ standard value) × 100
- Blended rate: total fees ÷ total hours
- Net to client: gross recovery − fees − costs
- Enhanced lodestar: hours × rate × multiplier
Comparison table
| Topic | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Utilization vs realization | Utilization measures time recorded as billable; realization measures value billed/collected vs standard. |
| Write-off vs billing discount | Write-offs are value removed; discount % compares standard to billed (may include negotiated cuts). |
| Contingency vs lodestar | Contingency is a % of recovery; lodestar is hours × rate (optionally × multiplier). |
| Collection vs cost recovery | Collection is cash vs billed fees; cost recovery is reimbursed disbursements vs advances. |
Glossary references
Reinforce entities by pairing percent language with conversion pages when learners mix fractions, decimals, and ratios.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is this legal advice?
No. These are educational practice-management calculators. Fee arrangements and interest rules require counsel and jurisdiction-specific analysis.
Where is general utilization?
The Professional hub also has resource utilization; this hub uses law-firm billable wording.
Compound prejudgment interest?
The prejudgment tool uses simple interest only—confirm statutory compounding rules with counsel.
How do write-offs relate to realization?
Write-offs reduce value before billing; realization then compares billed/collected amounts to standard value.