Non-Disclosure Agreement Cost Calculator

Estimate NDA preparation costs, review fees, and potential breach damages based on complexity, number of parties, and trade secret value.

Legal Disclaimer

This calculator provides general estimates only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws, regulations, and court procedures vary significantly by jurisdiction. Consult a licensed attorney in your area for advice specific to your situation.

Inputs

Trade secret value ($)

Complexity (0=Template, 1=Custom, 2=Mutual, 3=Complex)

Number of parties

Attorney hourly rate ($)

NDA term (years)

Number of jurisdictions

Tab to move between fields

Results

Total preparation cost ($)

$2,450.00

≈ 19 pairs of sneakers

Drafting cost ($)$1,400.00

Review cost ($)$525.00

Negotiation cost ($)$525.00

Estimated breach damages ($)$150,000.00

Litigation cost estimate ($)$100,000.00

Cost per party ($)$1,225.00

Annual Cost$816.67

How to Use This Calculator

Select NDA Type: mutual (both parties share confidential information) or one-way.
Enter Attorney Hourly Rate and estimated review/drafting hours.
Add Filing or Registration fees if applicable.
Review Total NDA Cost.
Standard mutual NDAs for business discussions cost $500–$2,000; complex IP-heavy NDAs cost more.
Use attorney-drafted NDAs for significant transactions — generic templates may have critical gaps.

How the result changes with Attorney hourly rate ($)

Attorney hourly rate ($)	Total preparation cost ($)
200	$1,400.00
700	$4,900.00
1,300	$9,100.00
1,800	$12,600.00

What each input means

Trade secret value ($): Estimated value of the confidential information being protected.
Complexity (0=Template, 1=Custom, 2=Mutual, 3=Complex): 0=Standard template, 1=Custom unilateral, 2=Custom mutual, 3=Complex multi-party.
Number of parties: Total parties to the NDA including your organization.
Attorney hourly rate ($): Hourly rate for the drafting/reviewing attorney. $250-500 typical for commercial IP attorneys.
NDA term (years): Duration of the confidentiality obligation. Standard: 2-5 years; trade secrets may be perpetual.
Number of jurisdictions: Number of legal jurisdictions covered. Multi-state or international NDAs cost more.

What each result means

Total preparation cost ($): All-in cost to draft, review, and negotiate the NDA.
Drafting cost ($): Attorney cost for initial NDA drafting.
Review cost ($): Estimated cost for counterparty counsel review.
Negotiation cost ($): Attorney time for negotiation rounds and redlining.
Estimated breach damages ($): Potential damages if confidential information is disclosed, based on trade secret value and exposure risk.
Litigation cost estimate ($): Estimated legal cost to pursue breach of NDA litigation.
Cost per party ($): Preparation cost divided equally among all parties.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Trade secret value ($) = 500000, Complexity (0=Template, 1=Custom, 2=Mutual, 3=Complex) = 1, Number of parties = 2, Attorney hourly rate ($) = 350 = 6 input(s) provided
Calculate Total preparation cost
Total preparation cost = draftingCost + totalReviewCost + negotiationCost
2450 = $2,450
Calculate Drafting cost
Drafting cost = totalDraftingHours * attorneyHourlyRate
1400 = $1,400
Calculate Review cost
Review cost = reviewHoursPerParty * attorneyHourlyRate * (numberOfParties - 1)
525 = $525