What a franchise termination lawyer costs: the sourced figures
The cost figures we could source, each with its year and definition: Clio's average hourly rate, two state bar surveys, one firm's stated retainer, AAA fees, the federal filing fee and court timing.
There is no published, neutral figure for what a franchise termination lawyer charges. We searched for one and did not find it, so this page does not give a "typical" fee. What it gives instead is every cost number we could trace to a named source, with the year and what the number measures, so you can see how far each figure goes and where it stops. Nothing here is a quote, and none of it is a prediction of what your matter would cost.
Hourly rates: general lawyers, not franchise lawyers
Clio, a legal practice-management software company, publishes a rates page updated October 2026. It puts the national average lawyer hourly rate in the United States at $362, the non-lawyer average at $194 and a blended "law firm" average at $323. Clio says its figures come from "aggregated and anonymized data from tens of thousands of legal professionals," meaning users of its software, not a random sample. By practice area the page lists lawyer averages of $368 for civil litigation, $384 for contracts, $426 for commercial and sale of goods and $400 for business formation and compliance. The first rows we read did not show a franchise-law line, so we do not quote one.
Two state bar surveys give a local view of all practice areas combined. The State Bar of Michigan's 2023 Economics of Law report, a survey of 3,819 attorneys using 2022 data, found the median hourly billing rate for private practice attorneys had risen from $275 to $300. The Florida Bar's 2022 Economics and Law Office Management Survey, with 516 respondents from a random sample of 3,120 members, found 85 percent of respondents list an hourly rate over $275. Both measure one state and cover every kind of law. Neither tells you the rate for franchise work.
What one firm states for its own fees
Only a few franchisee-side firms put any figures on their web pages. We recorded two statements and are reporting them as each firm's own words, not as a market norm. Lopes Law LLC says on its franchise termination page that "dispute representation is structured on a retainer basis starting at $5,000, applied against hourly billings," and lists a "Franchise Dispute Review: $3,000 flat fee" with a written assessment in 5 to 7 business days and a free 20-minute consultation. It states no hourly rate. Fortman Law says its initial consultation is free and that "Fee arrangements depend on the matter," and states no fee amounts. One firm's retainer is not what firms charge in general, and we do not name or rank firms here.
A few rules sit behind any fee. The ABA's Model Rule 1.5 says a lawyer shall not charge an unreasonable fee, that the basis or rate of the fee should be communicated, preferably in writing, and that a contingent fee agreement must be in a writing signed by the client. Each state adopts its own version. The guide on questions for a first consultation covers what to ask about fees.
Arbitration and mediation fees
If your agreement sends disputes to the American Arbitration Association under its commercial rules, the AAA's administrative fee schedule (effective Sept. 1, 2025) sets the filing and final fees below. They are administrative fees. They do not include arbitrator compensation.
| Claim amount | Initial filing fee | Final fee |
|---|---|---|
| Under $75,000 | $1,450 | $1,150 |
| $75,000 to under $150,000 | $2,375 | $1,825 |
| $150,000 to under $300,000 | $3,675 | $3,325 |
| $300,000 to under $500,000 | $4,825 | $4,175 |
| $500,000 to under $1,000,000 | $6,650 | $7,525 |
| $1,000,000 to under $10,000,000 | $8,925 | $9,675 |
The same schedule lists non-monetary claims at an initial fee of $4,825 and a final fee of $4,175, and a $3,500 additional filing fee for applications for emergency measures of protection. It applies only where the contract points to the AAA commercial rules.
The schedule also sets a $750 minimum non-refundable initial filing fee, with refunds of 100 percent within 5 days of filing, 50 percent for days 6 to 30 and 25 percent for days 31 to 60. AAA mediation carries a $350 non-refundable filing fee per party plus the mediator's compensation (AAA's separate mediation fee schedule). JAMS, another provider, says its neutrals set their own hourly rates, adds a 13 percent case management fee to professional fees and lists a $2,500 filing fee for two-party arbitrations on its fee page, which shows no effective date. Contracts can name other providers. See AAA arbitration costs and mediation in franchise disputes.
Court filing fees and timing
Starting a federal civil case costs $350 under 28 U.S.C. 1914(a) plus a $55 administrative fee on the U.S. Courts fee schedule, a total of $405 (our addition of the two sourced figures). State court fees differ and we did not source them.
On timing, the U.S. Courts comparison of districts for the 12 months ending 30 June 2026 gives a median time from filing to disposition for civil cases that varies widely by district. Across the 93 districts in that document our own tally runs from 3.4 to 84.4 months, with a middle value of about 7.7. For example, the median is 6.9 months in Massachusetts and 19.2 in New Hampshire. Disposition includes settlements and dismissals, not only trials. The separate filing-to-trial figure is far longer, 33.1 months in the District of Massachusetts. There is no single national figure in the document. The guide on going to court: costs and timing goes further.
What no source establishes
No neutral source we found gives an hourly rate specific to franchise law. We did not open the Thomson Reuters or Wolters Kluwer rate reports, so no figure is taken from them. We found no pricing for any firm beyond the two statements above, and no data on total cost of a termination dispute. Fee-shifting also matters: in a New York case, NGM Management Group v. Bareburger Group (2024), the court granted the franchisor summary judgment on liability for attorneys' fees under the franchise agreements, which shows that losing can add the other side's fees where the contract allows it. For help that costs less, see free and low-cost franchise help. A lawyer licensed in your state can explain what your own matter would cost.
Where this came from
- Clio, Compare Average Lawyer Hourly Rate by State, updated October 2026 (checked 28 October 2026).
- State Bar of Michigan, Economics of Law Report (checked 28 October 2026).
- The Florida Bar News, Bar survey examines wages, profitability, and hourly billing (checked 28 October 2026).
- Lopes Law LLC, franchise termination rights page, the firm's own statement (checked 28 October 2026).
- Fortman Law, franchisee litigation page, the firm's own statement (checked 28 October 2026).
- AAA-ICDR Commercial Arbitration Administrative Fee Schedule (checked 28 October 2026).
- JAMS, Arbitration Schedule of Fees and Costs (checked 28 October 2026).
- 28 U.S.C. 1914 and U.S. Courts district court fee schedule (checked 28 October 2026).
- U.S. Courts, Comparison of Districts, 12 months ending 30 June 2026 (checked 28 October 2026).
- ABA Model Rule 1.5 (checked 28 October 2026).
- NGM Mgt. Group v. Bareburger Group, 2024 NY Slip Op 00979 (checked 28 October 2026).