Worked example: attorney fee calculations in United States (Federal)
6 min read
Published April 15, 2026 • By DocketMath Team
Example inputs
Run this scenario in DocketMath using the Attorney Fee calculator.
Below is a worked example of how attorney-fee calculations typically look in United States (Federal) matters, using DocketMath’s attorney-fee calculator as the workflow.
Note: This example illustrates math and inputs. It is not legal advice, and federal fee statutes and case-specific rules can affect what’s allowable.
Scenario (federal civil case)
A plaintiff wins a motion on liability and later settles after a short period of discovery. The fee request covers work performed by counsel from January through March.
We’ll assume the request is analyzed using a common federal-fee framework that starts with reasonable hours × reasonable rate, with possible adjustments and later reductions for limited success.
Inputs (what you’d enter into DocketMath)
Use these categories because fee outcomes often turn on (1) which hours count and (2) what rates count.
| Input | Example value | What it represents |
|---|---|---|
| Lodestar hourly rate (standard) | $450/hour | The market rate for comparable federal litigation |
| Attorney hours billed (covered work) | 120 hours | Hours you claim are compensable |
| Paralegal hourly rate | $120/hour | Market rate for paralegal/legal assistant time |
| Paralegal hours billed | 18 hours | Paralegal hours you claim are compensable |
| Multiplier (optional) | 1.10 | Upward or downward adjustment after lodestar (use 1.00 if not used) |
| Success reduction % | 20% | Reduction for partial success (e.g., you won some claims but not all) |
| Administrative/clerical exclusion % | 10% | Fraction of attorney hours not compensable (e.g., purely clerical time) |
| Costs included? | Yes | Whether to include reimbursable costs in a “total” output |
Derived assumptions used in this example
To keep the math transparent, this example applies two reductions:
- Success reduction: reduce attorney and paralegal hours by 20%
- Clerical exclusion: reduce attorney hours by 10% (paralegal time often already reflects non-clerical work; we’ll leave it unchanged for simplicity)
If you prefer a different reduction scheme, you can mirror it in DocketMath by adjusting the reduction fields (or setting the reduction inputs to 0%).
Costs (included as a separate line)
Costs often include things like filing fees, transcript costs, and service charges (depending on the governing rule and what’s documented). For this example:
- Taxable/documented costs: $3,250
- No separate “expert” costs included here
Example run
Here’s the step-by-step run as it would look conceptually in an attorney-fee calculator.
Run the Attorney Fee calculator using the example inputs above. Review the breakdown for intermediate steps (segments, adjustments, or rate changes) so you can see how each input moves the output. Save the result for reference and compare it to your actual scenario.
Step 1: Reduce hours for clerical/administrative time
Attorney hours billed: 120
Clerical exclusion: 10%
- Compensable attorney hours = 120 × (1 − 0.10)
- Compensable attorney hours = 120 × 0.90 = 108.0 hours
Paralegal hours: 18
We apply only the success reduction (no clerical exclusion in this example).
Step 2: Apply success reduction
Success reduction: 20%
Compensable attorney hours after success = 108.0 × (1 − 0.20)
= 108.0 × 0.80 = 86.4 hours
Compensable paralegal hours after success = 18 × 0.80
= 14.4 hours
Step 3: Compute lodestar components
Attorney lodestar
- 86.4 hours × $450/hour = $38,880
Paralegal lodestar
- 14.4 hours × $120/hour = $1,728
Total lodestar before multiplier
- $38,880 + $1,728 = $40,608
Step 4: Apply multiplier
Multiplier = 1.10
- Adjusted fee = $40,608 × 1.10
- Adjusted fee = $44,668.80
Step 5: Add costs (if included)
Costs included? Yes
- Costs = $3,250
Total requested amount
- $44,668.80 + $3,250 = $47,918.80
Output (what DocketMath would display)
A typical output breakdown includes:
| Output line | Value |
|---|---|
| Compensable attorney hours | 86.4 |
| Compensable paralegal hours | 14.4 |
| Attorney fee (lodestar) | $38,880.00 |
| Paralegal fee (lodestar) | $1,728.00 |
| Lodestar subtotal | $40,608.00 |
| Multiplier-adjusted fee | $44,668.80 |
| Costs | $3,250.00 |
| Total fees + costs | $47,918.80 |
Checklist: inputs that most affect the number
Use this to audit your DocketMath entry before finalizing a fee narrative.
For the fastest workflow, start with hours and reductions first—rates and multipliers refine the outcome.
Sensitivity check
Small input changes can move the total materially. Below are “what-if” swings using the same underlying assumptions, adjusting one input at a time.
To test sensitivity, change one high-impact input (like the rate, start date, or cap) and rerun the calculation. Compare the outputs side by side so you can see how small input shifts affect the result.
A) Change the success reduction from 20% to 10%
- Attorney hours after success: 108 × 0.90 = 97.2
- Paralegal hours after success: 18 × 0.90 = 16.2
Attorney lodestar: 97.2 × 450 = $43,740
Paralegal lodestar: 16.2 × 120 = $1,944
Lodestar subtotal: $45,684
Multiplier 1.10 → $50,252.40
Add costs $3,250 → $53,502.40
Change vs. base ($47,918.80): +$5,583.60
B) Change the multiplier from 1.10 to 1.00
- Lodestar subtotal remains $40,608
- Multiplier 1.00 → $40,608
- Add costs $3,250 → $43,858.00
Change vs. base: −$4,060.80
C) Increase attorney rate from $450 to $475/hour (keep everything else)
Attorney fee increases by ($475 − $450) × 86.4 = $2,160
- Base attorney fee: $38,880
- New attorney fee: $41,040
- Paralegal unchanged: $1,728
- Lodestar subtotal: $42,768
- Multiplier 1.10 → $47,044.80
- Add costs $3,250 → $50,294.80
Change vs. base: +$2,376.00
Practical takeaway
Most fee disputes (and negotiation leverage points) usually cluster around:
- Success reduction (claim-by-claim outcome)
- Compensable hours (clerical/admin trimming and exclusions)
- Rate support (comparable attorney/paralegal rates)
- Whether a multiplier applies (often the largest discretionary swing)
If you’re running multiple drafts, treat sensitivity checks as part of your workflow:
- Use a baseline
- Apply ±10% on success reduction
- Compare multiplier 1.00 vs 1.10
- Swap rates within a realistic band supported by your evidentiary record
Related reading
- Worked example: attorney fee calculations in Vermont — Worked example with real statute citations