There are a lot of very good patent attorney, and several great ones. Any attorney should have the client's best interests in mind when providing any service. You will want to look for experience, client compatibility, and value. You should meet with the attorney face to face. Many attorneys will meet with a prospective client without charge for some minimum amount of time, to mutual access the attorney-client relationship and to obtain a general picture of the client's matter. Experience can be judged by the attorney's biography, which you often can download from the firm website, or from the advice that the attorney provides you. You and the attorney should be able to discuss easily the costs for the attorney's services, and what the entire patenting matter might cost. From that, you should be able to judge that you have the right attorney or not; and if not, look some more. Last point, be realistic about what a patent application will cost and do your homework there as well.

Answer Applies to: Ohio
Replied: 7/12/2011

Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.

Selecting a patent attorney, similar to selecting a doctor or other lawyers, is a subjective thing. Obviously, you want your patent attorney to have experience in drafting and obtaining patent applications for inventions that are similar to yours. Also, it is always recommended to perform research on your patent attorney on the web, read their bio's, check any reviews from other clients etc. Lastly, if possible, it's advisable to have an in-person meeting with your patent attorney to make sure you feel comfortable with them.

Answer Applies to: California
Replied: 7/7/2011

Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.

Patent attorney are generally able to give you an idea of their fees during the initial phone call. Call a few and compare their pricing. While cost is important - don't base your decision solely on pricing. Do your research. Learn as much as you can about a patent attorney online through their website and online profiles. Then call a few and talk to them to get a feel of what it would be like to work with them. If you don't get a good feeling initially, try another one, until you find one that seems knowledgeable and can explain the complex process of patents in an easy to understand manner. Good luck!

Answer Applies to: Colorado
Replied: 7/7/2011

Disclaimer: The response above does not form an attorney-client relationship. This answer may or may not apply to you and should not be relied upon as legal advice. LawQA does not make any representation as to the expertise or qualifications of this attorney. This attorney may or may not be admitted to state bar of your state.