Many patent attorneys or agents, including myself, will offer a free initial consultation. Usually, you will have to schedule an appointment. After the initial consultation, they will generally ask you to sign a letter of engagement to continue. Depending on what they charge and what service you need, they may ask you to pay a retainer fee or a deposit.
The majority of patent attorneys, especially in larger firms charge by the hour. This can run anywhere from $150 for an agent to over $550 for a big New York or Washington D.C. law firm. However, there are many patent agents and attorneys that charge flat rates for their services which, I find this is less risky for the client.
To make the most out of your free initial consultation, you should have all of your questions written down. You may also want to consult some books that will give you the basics of patents in order to get the most out of your consultation. A great place to start is Patent It Yourself by David Pressman (Nolo Press). The patent office also has some great resources for inventors.
Good luck with it!
Disclaimer: I am a registered U.S. patent agent. The information above is not legal advice and does not form a client-practitioner relationship.

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

Tagged with: • • • • • •

Filed under: Lawyer FAQ

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!