Quick Answer: A patent attorney consultation is an initial meeting between you and a patent attorney to discuss your invention and your options for protecting it. In a patent attorney consultation, you describe what you have created, the attorney assesses whether it may be patentable, and together you discuss next steps such as a prior art search or filing. At Schell IP, the patent attorney consultation is free, typically lasts about 30 minutes, and carries no obligation. You leave with a clearer understanding of your options and a sense of what protecting your invention will involve.
If you have an invention and you are wondering what to do next, a patent attorney consultation is usually the right first step. It is the point where a vague idea about protecting your work becomes a concrete plan. Many inventors put this off because they are not sure what happens in a patent attorney consultation, whether they are ready, or what it will cost. This guide removes that uncertainty.
Below, we walk through exactly what a patent attorney consultation is, what to bring, what gets covered, what it costs, and what happens afterward. If you would rather just get started, you can book a free consultation with Schell IP directly.
What Is a Patent Attorney Consultation?
A patent attorney consultation is a focused conversation about your invention and how to protect it. It is not a sales pitch and it is not a commitment to file. It is a working session where you get straight answers about your situation from someone who handles patents every day.
In a typical patent attorney consultation, three things happen. You explain your invention. The attorney gives an initial read on whether it looks patentable and what kind of protection fits. And the two of you outline the practical next steps, including rough timing and cost. The goal of a patent attorney consultation is to leave you better informed than when you walked in, whether or not you decide to move forward.
What to Bring to Your Patent Attorney Consultation
You do not need a finished product or a stack of legal documents for a productive patent attorney consultation. What helps most is a clear description of your invention. Useful things to bring include:
- A simple written description of what your invention is and what problem it solves
- Sketches, drawings, photos, or a prototype if you have them
- Notes on how your invention differs from what already exists
- A list of any public disclosures, sales, or pitches you have already made
- Your questions and your goals, such as licensing, raising funding, or blocking competitors
If you do not have all of this, that is fine. A patent attorney consultation works even at the early idea stage. The more detail you can share, the more specific the guidance will be, but the conversation is valuable either way.
What Gets Covered in a Patent Attorney Consultation
A good patent attorney consultation covers the questions that actually matter to your decision. While every conversation is different, most touch on the following.
Is Your Invention Patentable?
The attorney will give an initial assessment of whether your invention appears to meet the basic requirements: that it is new, useful, and non-obvious. This is a preliminary read during the patent attorney consultation, not a guarantee, since a formal answer requires a prior art search. To understand what that involves, see what you need to apply for a patent.
What Type of Protection Fits
You will discuss whether a utility patent, a design patent, or a provisional application makes the most sense for your situation, and how each option maps to your goals and budget.
Timing and Next Steps
Patent timing matters, and certain disclosures can affect your rights. A patent attorney consultation is where you find out whether you need to act quickly and what the realistic sequence looks like, from a prior art search through filing.
Cost
You will get a clear picture of what protecting your invention is likely to cost, so there are no surprises. For a fuller breakdown ahead of your patent attorney consultation, our complete patent cost guide for 2026 is a helpful reference.
How Much Does a Patent Attorney Consultation Cost?
At Schell IP, a patent attorney consultation is free. There is no charge for the initial meeting and no obligation to move forward afterward. The purpose of the consultation is to give you clarity about your options, not to commit you to anything.
This matters because the cost of a first meeting should never be the reason an inventor delays protecting their work. A free patent attorney consultation removes that barrier entirely, so you can get informed guidance before deciding how much to invest.
How Long Does a Patent Attorney Consultation Take?
A patent attorney consultation usually lasts about 30 minutes. That is generally enough time to describe your invention, get an initial assessment, and map out next steps. If your situation is more complex, the attorney will tell you what additional review is needed after the patent attorney consultation, such as a full prior art search.
What Happens After Your Patent Attorney Consultation?
After a patent attorney consultation, you are under no obligation to proceed. If you decide to move forward, the usual next step is a prior art search to confirm patentability, followed by preparing and filing your application. If you are not ready, you simply take the information from the patent attorney consultation and decide on your own timeline. Either way, you come out of it knowing where you stand.
Jeff’s Take
The inventors who get the most out of a patent attorney consultation are the ones who come in with questions, not a finished pitch. You do not need to have everything figured out. That is what the meeting is for. I would rather spend the first conversation understanding what you are trying to build and where you want to take the business than have you worry about whether your idea sounds polished enough.
The mistake I see most often is people waiting too long to have this conversation. They assume a patent consultation is something you do only when you are ready to file, so they sit on an invention while they keep refining it, and sometimes they disclose it publicly in the meantime without realizing the clock that starts when they do. A consultation early on is exactly when it is most useful, because that is when the timing decisions that protect your rights are still on the table. Having built and exited companies myself, I look at your invention as a business asset, not just a legal filing, and the earliest conversations are usually where the most value gets protected.
How Schell IP Helps
At Schell IP, we make the first step easy. Denver patent attorney Jeff Schell brings both legal expertise and real founder experience, including building and exiting his own ventures, so a consultation at Schell IP is grounded in how protection actually affects your business, your fundraising, and your long-term value.
When you book a consultation with us, you get:
- A free, no-obligation patent attorney consultation with an experienced patent lawyer
- A straight assessment of whether your invention looks patentable
- A clear next step tailored to your goals and budget
- Founder-informed guidance from someone who has been on your side of the table
Book a free consultation to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a patent consultation?
A patent attorney consultation is an initial meeting where you describe your invention and a patent attorney assesses your options for protecting it. It covers whether your invention appears patentable, what type of protection fits, timing, and cost.
Is a patent attorney consultation free?
At Schell IP, yes. The initial patent attorney consultation is free and carries no obligation to move forward. The goal is to give you clarity about your options before you decide anything.
How long does a patent attorney consultation last?
A patent attorney consultation typically lasts about 30 minutes, which is usually enough to describe your invention, get an initial assessment, and outline next steps.
What should I bring to a patent attorney consultation?
Bring a clear description of your invention, any sketches, drawings, photos, or a prototype, notes on how it differs from existing products, a record of any public disclosures, and your questions and goals. If you only have an early-stage idea, the consultation is still worthwhile.
Do I need a prototype before a patent attorney consultation?
No. A prototype helps but is not required. A patent attorney consultation is useful even at the idea stage, though more detail allows for more specific guidance.
Will my idea be kept confidential during a patent attorney consultation?
Communications with a patent attorney are generally treated as confidential. You can discuss the specifics of confidentiality at the start of your patent attorney consultation so you are comfortable sharing details.
What happens after a patent consultation?
You are under no obligation to proceed. If you move forward, the typical next step is a prior art search followed by preparing and filing your application. If you are not ready, you keep the guidance and decide on your own timeline.
Do I need a patent attorney consultation if I plan to file myself?
Even inventors who intend to file on their own often find a patent attorney consultation valuable, because timing mistakes and disclosure issues can permanently affect patent rights. A short conversation can prevent costly errors.
Final Thoughts
A patent consultation is the simplest, lowest-risk step you can take toward protecting your invention. It costs nothing at Schell IP, it carries no obligation, and it replaces uncertainty with a clear sense of your options and next steps. If you have been putting it off because you were not sure what to expect, now you know.
At Schell IP, we help inventors and startups protect what they have built, starting with a free, founder-informed patent attorney consultation. Whether you are ready to file or just exploring, the first conversation is where the path becomes clear. Book a free consultation today.
