Guide
How much does a trademark lawyer cost?
Two separate bills make up the real cost of a federal trademark registration: the USPTO's government filing fees, and your attorney's professional fees for clearance and prosecution. Below is what each layer covers in 2026, what drives cost up or down, and where do-it-yourself filing saves money versus where it quietly backfires.
The two bills you'll see
USPTO filing fees
Paid to the government. Base fee is $350 per class of goods or services in 2026. Additional surcharges apply for custom identifications and for each class beyond the first. These fees are non-refundable, even if the application is refused.
Attorney fees
Paid to your law firm. Typical U.S. ranges for a straightforward one-class application: $500–$1,500 for a comprehensive clearance search, and $500–$1,500 for preparing and filing the application. FinchMark quotes a flat fee up front — no surprise bills.
What drives cost up
- Multiple classes. Each additional class of goods or services adds another USPTO base fee and additional drafting time.
- Crowded field. If similar marks already exist, the clearance search takes longer and the risk analysis is more involved.
- Office actions. If the examining attorney raises a substantive refusal (likelihood of confusion, descriptiveness), responding is billed separately — typically $500–$2,500 depending on complexity.
- Design marks. Logos require design-code searches on top of wording searches.
- International filings. Foreign registrations layer on their own government fees and local counsel costs.
Where DIY saves — and where it backfires
DIY works when…
Your mark is highly distinctive (an invented word), you sell in one narrow class, and a knockout search turns up nothing close. Our step-by-step search guide walks you through it.
Call a lawyer when…
Your mark is descriptive or in a crowded field, you plan to raise capital, you sell in multiple classes, or you've already received a cease-and-desist letter. The cost of a rebrand dwarfs any fee saved on filing.
Related guides
Step-by-step
How to perform a trademark search
The same seven-step knockout workflow we use — exact, phonetic, design codes, common-law, and prosecution-history checks.
Read moreStarter guide
DIY Trademark Strategies
Build common-law rights, search USPTO records, and decide when to register — before you spend a dollar.
Read moreQ&A
Trademark FAQ
Answers to the questions clients ask most often — costs, timelines, and what registration actually gets you.
Read moreGet a flat-fee quote before you file.
Free 20-minute consultation. We'll tell you the total cost — government fees included — before you commit.