Free tool · Legal prices
Legal inflation calculator
See what a fee from an earlier year is worth in today’s prices, using the consumer price index for legal services from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, next to the index for all items.
Adjust an amount
What is $1,000 worth in September 2026?
Each row takes the average index for that year and adjusts $1,000 to September 2026. For example, $1,000 in 2010 has the buying power of $1,640 by legal-services prices and $1,545 by all-items prices.
| Year | Adjusted by legal-services prices | Adjusted by all-items prices |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,095 | $1,074 |
| 2023 | $1,145 | $1,106 |
| 2022 | $1,200 | $1,151 |
| 2021 | $1,266 | $1,243 |
| 2020 | $1,330 | $1,302 |
| 2019 | $1,388 | $1,318 |
| 2018 | $1,425 | $1,342 |
| 2017 | $1,463 | $1,375 |
| 2016 | $1,489 | $1,404 |
| 2015 | $1,523 | $1,422 |
| 2014 | $1,556 | $1,423 |
| 2013 | $1,577 | $1,446 |
| 2012 | $1,608 | $1,468 |
| 2011 | $1,631 | $1,498 |
| 2010 | $1,640 | $1,545 |
| 2009 | $1,654 | $1,571 |
| 2008 | $1,683 | $1,565 |
| 2007 | $1,739 | $1,625 |
| 2006 | $1,796 | $1,671 |
| 2005 | $1,847 | $1,725 |
| 2004 | $1,906 | $1,784 |
| 2003 | $1,949 | $1,832 |
| 2002 | $1,999 | $1,873 |
| 2001 | $2,043 | $1,903 |
| 2000 | $2,114 | $1,957 |
| 1999 | $2,197 | $2,023 |
| 1998 | $2,268 | $2,067 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U legal services (series CUUR0000SEGC01, December 1997 = 100, not seasonally adjusted) and CPI-U all items (series CUUR0000SA0). The latest index values are 229.752 and 336.940 for September 2026. The legal-services index begins in December 1997.
How it works
The calculator divides the index for the latest month by the index for the month you pick, and multiplies your amount by the result. Both indexes are the ones the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes, not seasonally adjusted, so a month is compared with a month. It never mixes seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series.
Questions about the calculator
How do I adjust an old fee for inflation?
Divide the index for today by the index for the month of the old fee, then multiply by the fee. This calculator does that with the consumer price index for legal services and, side by side, the index for all items.
Which index should I use in a fee petition or an article?
That is for the court, the agreement or your editor to decide, and it is not legal advice. The legal-services index follows what households pay for legal work; the all-items index follows prices in general. Say which one you used and cite the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Is the legal-services index the same as lawyers’ hourly rates?
No. It follows the prices households pay for a basket of legal services, and it does not follow hourly rates or contingency fees. For what law offices receive, see the producer price index in the price study.
How far back does it go?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics began the legal-services index in December 1997, so that is the earliest month. The latest month is September 2026.
Is anything I type stored?
No. The calculation runs in your browser, and nothing you type is sent or stored.
Free
Get your free review.
Send us your firm’s website. Probative Growth records a 90-second video of what clients see when they look you up, and emails it with a one-page summary within 2 business days. No logins, no call needed.
Not sure where to start? Answer 7 questions Ready to talk? Talk to us Or see what AI says about your firm
Your free review: It covers your Google listing, website, phone and ads, from public information.