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C&MCarey & MeiC&MCarey & Mei
PRICING

One fixed price to allowance. Money back on select plans.

Professional fees, agreed before work starts and paid at three milestones. Government fees billed at cost. Every plan starts with a free patentability check.

Start free. Get a patentability check in about 10 minutes.
Provisional
$4,500
MILESTONES
Paid at engagement.
INCLUDED
  • Prior art search
  • Provisional drafted and filed
  • Drawings
  • Credited in full to any plan within 12 months
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Standard
$19,500
MILESTONES
$4,500 at start · $9,000 at nonprovisional filing · $6,000 at first office action response
INCLUDED
  • Provisional and nonprovisional
  • Up to 3 office action responses
  • 2 examiner interviews
  • 1 RCE
  • Docketing and platform
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Protected
Most chosen
$22,500
MILESTONES
$4,500 · $10,500 · $7,500
INCLUDED
  • Provisional and nonprovisional
  • Up to 3 office action responses
  • 2 examiner interviews
  • 1 RCE
  • Docketing and platform
  • If no claim is allowed within scope: choose a free RCE refile or a 60% refund of professional fees
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Guaranteed
$24,500
MILESTONES
$4,500 · $11,500 · $8,500
INCLUDED
  • Provisional and nonprovisional
  • Up to 3 office action responses
  • 2 examiner interviews
  • 2 RCEs
  • Docketing and platform
  • If no claim is allowed within scope: a free refile first, then 100% of professional fees back
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Prices are professional fees for one US utility application. Government fees, foreign agent fees and translation are billed at cost. Guarantees apply to eligible applications under written engagement terms.

Examiner data and invention memory are included in every plan. Memory is off until you turn it on.

Add ons, fixed and quoted before work starts.

Add onPriceWhen
Continuation application$9,500Quoted and fixed before work
PCT filing service$4,500Excludes official, foreign agent and translation fees
National phase coordination$1,000 per countryForeign fees at cost
Extra office action response$2,500Beyond plan scope
AppealsQuotedCase by case

Government fees, passed through at cost.

USPTO step (small entity)FeeNote
Provisional$130Optional, 12 months of priority
Nonprovisional filing, search, examination$730Covers 3 independent and 20 total claims
Office action responses$0Free if on time
Issue fee$516Last fee before grant
Typical case to grantabout $2,070Includes 1 RCE and one 1 month extension

USPTO fee schedule effective 19 Jan 2025. Micro entities pay half; large entities pay 2.5x. Avoidable extras: excess claims, extensions, a second RCE.

Filing 3 or more applications a year?

Ask about portfolio pricing: one yearly budget line per application, everything included.

Ask about portfolio pricing

Compared with the usual ways to get a patent.

BigLaw (hourly)BoutiqueCarey & Mei
Price to first allowance$30K to $60K$17K to $32K$19.5K to $24.5K, fixed
How you payMonthly invoicesPer task3 milestones
GuaranteeNoneNoneRefund on select plans
Captures inventions from your codeNoNoYes

Sources: Tradespace 2026 patent cost guide; Lightbringer pricing page; USPTO fee schedule; published boutique and BigLaw rate surveys. Ranges are estimates for software and AI utility patents.

Pricing questions.

What counts as "allowed"?

At least one independent claim covering the core invention described in your engagement letter. A trivially narrow claim does not end the guarantee.

What if my application is rejected?

Rejections are normal. Your plan includes up to 3 office action responses, 2 examiner interviews and 1 RCE. On Protected and Guaranteed, if no claim is allowed within scope, you get a free refile first, then a refund.

Can I pay over time?

Yes. Every plan is paid at three milestones: at start, at nonprovisional filing, and at the first office action response. Milestone payments are held in the firm’s trust account until earned.

Are government fees included?

No. USPTO fees are billed at cost, listed above. A typical small entity case costs about $2,070 to grant.

Not sure which plan fits? Start with the free check.

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