Want to file a trademark to protect your brand but aren’t sure where to start?  The good news is you have options when it comes to what avenue you want to take when filing your trademark.  Do you want to do the entire thing yourself?  Do you want to hire an online document filing service, or do you hire a trademark attorney?

Let’s break down each option and the pros and cons of each.

1.  Do It Yourself.  The actual cost to file your trademark application yourself will be the government filing fee which is $250-$350 per class of goods/services.  However, if you just read that sentence and said “what does classes of goods and services mean?” the process will most certainly cost you more in the form of your time.  There are many nuances when it comes to filing a trademark and being educated in them are so important to make sure you properly file your trademark and give yourself the best chance of getting your mark registered.
   
   
2. Online Document Filing Tool. Using a service like LegalZoom will cost you around $500 plus the federal filing fee.  They will likely do a basic knockout search for you and then will fill out the application for you, based on the information you provide to them (without asking you any questions or making sure whether that information is complete and accurate for the application).  Since they are not a law firm they will not be providing you with any legal advice or recommendations, and will not respond to any questions or office actions from the examining attorney at the USPTO.  This means once they file your application, they are done providing you with any services.
   
   
3. Hiring a Trademark Attorney.  The actual cost of hiring a lawyer to file your trademark application is $1500-$3000 and they will handle the process from start to finish for you.  Working with a trademark lawyer has so many benefits but one being their experience and expertise in the subject matter.  The trademark process can be long and nuanced and it is nice to have someone on your side who understands and can guide you in the best way possible to get your mark registered.  When working with my clients I provide them with an extensive trademark availability search including reports and a letter detailing the availability of their mark.  Then I determine the most appropriate class of goods and services and make sure to have multiple USPTO approved specimens.  I then accurately fill out and submit the application.  You can expect three months between application filing and the process getting started and assigned to a USPTO examining attorney.  I will then support you by answering and address all office actions from the examining attorney in a timely manner to move the process forward as quickly as possible.  Lastly, I give you monthly updates as to the progress and status of your mark.
   
   

To me (and I may just be a little biased) but if you are taking the step to file your trademark, why wouldn’t you want to work with an expert in the field and give yourself the best chance possible of actually getting your mark registered.  Although working with an attorney is a financial investment, the trade off is to save the time invested on your end, which could be better spent elsewhere.

Want to learn more about how you can work with me to get your trademark registered?

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