LegalCaseTools

Case Cost Estimator

Estimate the total cost of a matter across timekeeper levels, with expenses, a contingency allowance and the blended rate.

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Free · No sign-up · Runs in your browser

Estimating a matter is guesswork made systematic. The guesswork is in the hours; the systematic part is separating them by timekeeper level, adding the expenses that are genuinely foreseeable, and stating an allowance for the scope that is likely but not yet defined.

This estimator does the systematic part and shows the blended rate the client will experience - which is the number that determines whether the estimate is competitive.

Your numbers

Results update as you type. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Partner
Associate
Paralegal
Other

Result

Total estimate

$100,625

Blended rate

$333.18

Professional fees
$73,300
Partner fees
$25,000
Associate fees
$39,000
Paralegal fees
$9,300
Contingency allowance
$18,325
Expenses
$9,000
Total hours
220
Partner share
34.11%

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

LevelHoursRateFees
Partner40$625$25,000
Associate120$325$39,000
Paralegal60$155$9,300

How to use the case cost estimator

  1. Estimate the hours at each timekeeper level from comparable closed matters.
  2. Enter the rate for each level.
  3. Add foreseeable expenses: filing fees, experts, court reporters, travel.
  4. Add a contingency allowance sized to how well defined the scope is.

What people use this for

  • Producing a matter budget for a client who requires one.
  • Testing whether a proposed fee cap is viable.
  • Comparing the cost of two litigation strategies.
  • Setting the figure in an engagement letter.

Worked examples

Every figure below is produced by running this calculator against the example inputs, so the numbers always match the tool.

A contested matter

40 partner hours at $625, 120 associate hours at $325, 60 paralegal hours at $155, $9,000 of expenses and a 25% contingency allowance.

Total estimate
$100,625
Blended rate
$333.18
Contingency allowance
$18,325

A well-defined matter

The same work with a 10% contingency allowance because the scope is clear.

Total estimate
$89,630
Professional fees
$73,300

Estimate from your own closed matters

The single most reliable input is what comparable matters actually took. A firm that measures duration and hours on closed matters can estimate a new one with a defensible range; a firm that does not is estimating from memory, which is systematically optimistic.

Where no comparable history exists, estimate the phases separately and add them. A single number for a whole matter is almost always wrong, and wrong in the same direction.

Contingency scales with uncertainty

A repeatable transaction with a defined scope needs very little allowance. Litigation against an unpredictable opponent needs a great deal, because the variable that decides the cost is outside your control entirely.

Stating the allowance separately rather than inflating the hours is what makes the estimate credible. It shows the client the estimate has been thought about, and it gives you a specific thing to point to when scope does move.

Methodology and assumptions

What this calculator does, and what it deliberately does not do.

  • Professional fees are the sum of hours × rate at each timekeeper level. The contingency allowance applies to fees only.
  • Tax is applied to fees, contingency and expenses combined; which components are taxable differs by jurisdiction.
  • The blended rate divides professional fees by total hours.
  • The tool performs arithmetic or date counting on the values you enter. It does not interpret a rule, a statute or a contract.
  • Nothing you type is transmitted or stored - the calculation runs entirely inside your browser.

This website provides general informational and productivity tools and does not provide legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship.

The date and deadline tools count days exactly as you instruct them. They do not interpret court rules, statutes of limitation, filing requirements or any other legal authority, and they do not know the rules of your jurisdiction.

Always verify any date, fee, or calculation against the governing rule, the court calendar and your own professional judgement. If you need legal advice, consult a lawyer licensed in your jurisdiction.

Frequently asked questions

How accurate can a matter estimate be?

On repeatable work, quite accurate. On contested work, the honest answer is a range rather than a number, and the range widens with the opponent’s unpredictability.

Should I show the client the timekeeper breakdown?

Usually yes. It explains the price, and it makes any later staffing change visible and discussable rather than a surprise on an invoice.

Is this a fee agreement?

No. It is an estimate produced from assumptions you entered. It does not bind anyone and it is not a substitute for an engagement letter.

What if the estimate is higher than the client will accept?

That is a scope conversation rather than a pricing one. Reducing the estimate without reducing the work simply moves the overrun to the invoice.

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