How it works

1. Tell us where you are

Enter your ZIP or Canadian postal code, then your name, email and phone number. That's all we need. Don't send us details of your invention. That conversation belongs with your attorney, who is bound by professional confidentiality rules.

Cost: free.

2. We match you with an attorney in your state or province

If an attorney in our network already covers your state, we connect you, usually within 1 business day.

If we don't have one in your state yet, we find one. Before we refer anyone, we check that the attorney is properly registered (with the USPTO, or with CIPO for Canadian patents) and in good standing with their state bar or provincial law society. We'll be in touch within 3 business days with your match or an update.

Do you need a local attorney? Not legally. Patent law is federal, and any USPTO-registered attorney can represent you wherever you live. Many inventors still prefer someone in their own state, so that's what we look for.

Cost: free.

3. Talk it through with the attorney

The attorney's office contacts you to set up a first conversation. You can talk about your idea, what kind of protection might fit, and whether it's worth pursuing at all. A good attorney will sometimes tell you not to file.

Your relationship from here is with the attorney and their firm, not with Patent Attorney Network.

Cost: set by the attorney. They'll tell you before the conversation whether there's a fee.

4. Get a SPARK Report before you spend on a filing (optional)

Before anyone drafts a patent application, find out if your idea is worth protecting. A SPARK Report gives you professional patent research, a GOAT Validation Scorecard and, depending on the package, market analysis and a formal Patentability Assessment from an independent, licensed patent practitioner.

Cost: SPARK Basic $99, SPARK Market $398, SPARK Legal $598, SPARK PRO $897. All optional. Compare SPARK packages.

Who you pay, and who pays the attorney: SPARK is sold by Montgomery IP Associates, our parent company. When a package includes a Patentability Assessment, Montgomery IP pays the attorney for that work. You'll be told this in writing before you buy, and you can decline. You're also free to get a search from any other provider.

After that

If you decide to file, you can choose a fixed-price filing package (from $2,497), prepared and filed by an independent, licensed patent attorney, or ask the attorney for their own quote. Either way, the attorney's duties are owed to you.

For Sale By Inventor, another Montgomery IP company, may contact you separately about marketing your invention. That's optional, it isn't part of Patent Attorney Network, and your attorney isn't involved in it. You can ask not to be contacted.