The honest version of this comparison isn't "DIY sites are a scam" — they're not. It's that they sell a different product than most buyers think they're getting. A filing service submits a form. An attorney is responsible for an outcome.
| DIY filing site | Licensed IP attorney | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal advice about your mark | Not permitted — document prep only | Yes — that's the job |
| Clearance search | Direct-hit database check | Similar marks, sound-alikes, related classes, common-law uses — with a written opinion |
| Classes & identification strategy | You choose from menus | Drafted to protect without inviting refusal |
| Office action response | Not included — you're on your own | Handled; most refusals are answerable |
| Accountability | Disclaimed in the terms of service | Bar-licensed and professionally liable |
| Typical cost | $99–$400 + USPTO fees | $950–$2,000 all-in per class |
The math that matters: a refused DIY filing costs the service fee, the non-refundable $350 USPTO fee, and then the attorney you hire to rescue it — from a weaker position than filing right the first time. Research on USPTO outcomes puts attorney-represented applicants at roughly 50% higher registration success.
For everyone else — a brand you're investing real money behind — the attorney's fee is the insurance on everything you spend building the name.
See the full cost picture in our trademark cost guide, the process in how to trademark a name, or skip ahead: a free consultation with a licensed attorney in your market costs nothing and answers the "is my name even clear?" question first.
Describe your name, brand, or invention — hear back within one business day.
No. LegalZoom and similar services (Trademark Engine, ZenBusiness, etc.) are document-preparation companies. Their own terms state they cannot provide legal advice about your specific mark — they type your answers into the USPTO form.
The included search is typically a 'direct-hit' database check for identical marks. The #1 reason applications get refused is likelihood of confusion with a *similar* mark — sound-alikes, look-alikes, related goods — which a knockout search doesn't evaluate and a filing service can't give an opinion on.
You respond yourself or hire an attorney — the filing service's job ended at submission. A large share of applications receive office actions, and the USPTO filing fee is non-refundable either way.
Published research on USPTO filings found attorney-represented applicants roughly 50% more likely to reach registration. When a DIY filing fails, you pay the USPTO fee again plus the attorney you skipped — the cheap path is only cheap when nothing goes wrong.
Trademarking a name costs $350 per class in USPTO fees, with attorney-handled registrations totaling $950–$2,000 in 2026.
Read the guide →The real process for trademarking a name in 2026: clearance search, classes, filing basis, USPTO examination, publication, and registration — with timelines and pitfalls at each step..
Read the guide →Patents cost $1,500–$5,000 for a provisional and $8,000–$20,000+ for an attorney-drafted utility application in 2026.
Read the guide →