Legal services priced at $10,000 in 1986 $42,388.43 in 2023

Legal Services Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Legal Services, 1986-2023 ($10,000)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for legal services are 323.88% higher in 2023 versus 1986 (a $32,388.43 difference in value).

Between 1986 and 2023: Legal services experienced an average inflation rate of 3.98% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, legal services costing $10,000 in the year 1986 would cost $42,388.43 in 2023 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.80% during this same period, inflation for legal services was higher.

Price Inflation for Legal services since 1986

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1990 (7.40%), 2022 (6.58%), and 2023 (6.23%).

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Buying power of $10,000.00 since 1986

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Legal services, over time, for $10,000 beginning in 1986. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1986$10,000.00-
1987$10,343.853.44%
1988$10,766.154.08%
1989$11,411.545.99%
1990$12,256.157.40%
1991$12,957.695.72%
1992$13,621.545.12%
1993$14,195.384.21%
1994$14,676.153.39%
1995$15,163.083.32%
1996$15,708.463.60%
1997$16,382.314.29%
1998$17,166.924.79%
1999$17,997.694.84%
2000$18,933.855.20%
2001$19,946.925.35%
2002$21,105.385.81%
2003$22,170.775.05%
2004$23,226.154.76%
2005$24,175.384.09%
2006$25,000.773.41%
2007$26,027.324.11%
2008$27,072.594.02%
2009$27,814.622.74%
2010$28,812.993.59%
2011$29,742.733.23%
2012$30,346.472.03%
2013$31,181.702.75%
2014$31,849.232.14%
2015$32,355.781.59%
2016$33,447.823.38%
2017$34,639.143.56%
2018$36,124.444.29%
2019$36,475.360.97%
2020$36,872.131.09%
2021$37,438.081.53%
2022$39,902.986.58%
2023$42,388.436.23%*

* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.


Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Legal services:

Year19861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023
CPI100.000103.438107.662114.115122.562129.577136.215141.954146.762151.631157.085163.823171.669179.977189.338199.469211.054221.708232.262241.754250.008260.273270.726278.146288.130297.427303.465311.817318.492323.558334.478346.391361.244364.754368.721374.381399.030423.884

Adjust legal services prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2023 / CPI in 1986 * 1986 USD value = 2023 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Legal services was 100.000 in the year 1986 and 423.884 in 2023:

423.884 / 100.000 * $10,000 = $42,388.43

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $10,000 in 1986 has the same "purchasing power" as $42,388.43 in 2023 (in the CPI category of Legal services).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Legal services in 1986. In addition to legal services, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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