Class code 8820 covers attorneys and law firm employees — one of the lowest-rated classes in the system, reflecting office work’s minimal injury exposure. Even so, firms overpay through payroll errors and misapplied staff assignments more often than you’d think. Get multiple quotes within minutes.

Who falls under code 8820

Attorneys, paralegals, legal secretaries, and office staff employed by law firms. Messengers and process servers typically fall elsewhere — one of several boundary questions that decide a firm’s true premium.

The misclassification traps

• Assigning investigators, process servers, or couriers to 8820 — field roles usually belong in higher-rated classes
• Partner and owner payroll handled wrong — inclusion/exclusion elections and payroll caps vary by state
• Bonuses and profit distributions miscounted in audit payroll

What drives your 8820 premium

Payroll in the class, your experience mod, state rates for 8820, and carrier appetite — which varies more for this class than owners expect. Because 8820 rates are already low, the savings lever here is usually payroll accuracy and officer elections rather than the base rate. The fix for all of it is the same: accurate payroll split by class, clean documentation, and multiple carriers quoted side by side. See our full class code directory.

Frequently asked questions

What is workers’ comp class code 8820?

Code 8820 covers attorneys, paralegals, and law office employees — among the lowest-rated workers’ comp classes due to minimal injury exposure, though officer election rules and field-staff assignments still create audit issues for firms.

Can one business have code 8820 and other class codes?

Yes — most businesses carry multiple class codes with payroll split among them. The rules for when payroll can be divided are strict and state-specific, which is exactly where a comp-focused agency earns its keep at audit time.

Think you’re misclassified — or overpaying? We review classifications as part of every quote. Get multiple quotes within minutes.