Initial Consultation

What to do first

Bay Area IP is happy to help you find answers to any general question you may have regarding the patent process.  We ask that you send your initial inquiries via e-mail if you have a specific question.  However, generally, a large volume of e-mail's or phone calls does impede us from completing work for our existing clients.  You will generally get the most value from our communications if, before emailing or calling, you review the information on our website carefully towards answering your question(s).  Many of your basic questions can be efficiently answered by searching our website using the search engine on the left toolbar, and by looking through relevant topics in our IP Info, andfrequently asked questions (FAQs), sections on our website. Be sure to look at our FAQ/Help Guide regarding Initial Consultations. After getting your basic questions answered through our website, you will have enough time to ask us more detailed questions, possibly more relevant to your unique situation.

Bay Area IP promptly responds to emails regarding the firm’s current lead-time and ability to accept new clients. Although we make every attempt to provide FREE information online to answer all your questions about most common situations, you may have more detailed questions.  Due to our high-volume practice, before contacting us by phone, it is less burdensome on our workload if you email us your question(s).  Generally, we will respond to your email questions in a timely manner; however at times, our heavy caseload may delay our response time somewhat.  The vast majority of the time, the combination of our FREE online information and email response will efficiently answer your questions.  If the combination of our online resources and email interaction are not efficient towards answering your questions and/or resolving any concerns, and if the cost of the services you are interested will be at least $2000, then we will setup a time that a Bay Area IP patent practitioner will be available for a meeting to quickly resolve your general questions.  If this informational call is less than 10 minutes long, then there is no charge for our time.  Thereafter, if your questions have not been resolved, then you may want to arrange an initial consultation with a Bay Area IP registered patent practitioner who can evaluate your unique situation in more detail.

Initial Consultation Cost

The cost of our initial consultation depends on the category of service you seek.  Our services can be grouped into are two general categories, each having its respective consultation costs as follows:

A more detailed description is given below. 

For Flat-fee services in category 1, our firm strives to balance our competing goals of providing the lowest possible cost for our flat-fee services while being available to answer questions.  Given that our online resources (such as the IP info , and FAQ sections of our website) answer most common question, the vast majority of inventors interested in our low-cost flat-fee services do not need to contact us to procure the right service for their goals and situation.  Hence, to maintain our low cost flat-fee services for the majority, we offer a discount telephone/video initial consultation to the few that find they need it. 

The special initial consultation offer is for a 50% reduction off our normal hourly rate for the first one half hour, and our normal hourly rate thereafter. 

For hourly services in category 2-  As an incentive to learn more about each other or to explore individual situations before starting a new project, for limited time, a FREE initial consultation is available, which offer provides the first 10 minutes free of charge.  After the FREE 10 minutes, a 50% reduction off our normal hourly rate applies for the next half hour, and our normal hourly rate thereafter.  Introductory conferences beyond the FREE period must be prepaid 

Our services that fall into the first category are typically as follows:  “Patent-Pending” Provisional Patents, and flat-rate patent research.

Our services that fall into the second category are typically as follows:  non-Provisional Patent Prosecution, and Quality Oriented Provisional Patent Preparation. 

How to request an Initial Consultation 

To take advantage of Bay Area IP’s limited-time special offer for a free, or reduced cost, initial telephone/video conference  please complete ourConsultation Request Form. You will get the most out of the consulation if prior to, or concurrent with, requesting the initial consultation, youreview the Guide to Our Services. Please do not email confidential information unless it is encrypted. Note, that as a registered patent practitioner, no member of the firm will disclose or use your confidential information without your explicit permission.

All consultation time beyond any free time, must be paid in advance. Pay online by credit card , or mail your payments to Bay Area IP at our San Francisco office mailing address with the retainer and your full contact information including your full name, address, email address, and telephone number.  For mail-in payments, include a note about what the payment is for.  Please propose multiple times (during Pacific Time business hours, and after funds are cashed) that you would prefer to have the conference call.

Please review our getting started web page for an outline on how the process to become a client of our firm typically proceeds. 

Conditions governing the free Initial Consultation 

Please note that Bay Area IP does not respond to e-mail's or conduct telephone consultations unless you provide your verifiable full name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address.  Bay Area IP cannot respond to anonymous inquiries. 

FREE initial consultations for hourly services are:

·       Limited to 10 minutes, and any time beyond the FREE 15 minute period is payable in advance by credit card, certified check, or money order for expedited service, or by personal check if time is not critical (consultation available upon check being cashed).

·       Focused on the potential client’s options and employment of the firm.

·       Any FREE consultation time will usually not cover our flat-fee services noted as category 1 above. 

However, any paid consultation time may cover any subject within the firms purview as set forth in our service offering. 

NOTICE:  Please be advised that all information transactions and/or consultations between a prospective client and the firm are strictly for informational purposes and do not constitute any sort of legal relationship.  Such consultations are performed under the ethics guidelines of 37 CFR § 10.31, 10.32, and 10.33 .  Until the prospective client and the firm execute a service agreement, and any required retainer payment is honored, the prospective client is not a client of the firm.  Please do not e-mail Bay Area IP any confidential information prior to becoming our client.

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