What the engagement usually covers
Prosecution work typically begins with an invention disclosure meeting and may include a prior art search, which is optional and not required by the USPTO. Drafting the specification and claims is the largest single task, followed by filing and handling formal papers such as inventor declarations and assignments. The work that follows is harder to predict: responding to office actions, interviewing the examiner, filing continuations or appeals, and paying the issue fee. After a patent issues, maintenance fees come due at set points, and missing them lets the patent lapse. Ask whether a quote covers the filing alone or the path toward allowance.
Fees, entity status and deadlines
Government fees at the USPTO depend partly on entity status, and the small and micro entity discounts carry eligibility rules that should be checked rather than assumed. Granting a license or an assignment to a larger company can affect eligibility, and a mistaken claim to a discount should be corrected promptly once it is noticed. Ask how the firm dockets deadlines and how reminders reach you, because many USPTO response periods can be extended for a fee while others cannot. It also helps to know whether foreign filings are handled in-house or through associates abroad, since that changes both cost and coordination.
How the work gets started
We generally begin by confirming who the inventors are, who owns the invention, and whether employment or consulting agreements already assign it. Bring drafts, drawings, prototypes, test data, and any earlier filings, along with dates of any public disclosure or offer for sale. We talk about how broad the protection needs to be for the business, which drives drafting time and cost. Filings are handled by registered practitioners, and you should know from the start which person is responsible for your application. We also agree on how we will communicate when an office action arrives, since the response clock starts on its mailing date.
