Questions
The things founders actually ask.
How long does registration take?
Filing takes days. Registration takes time: the USPTO typically assigns an examining attorney several months after filing, and a straightforward application reaches registration in roughly eight to fourteen months. Your rights, though, date back to your filing date, so the clock that matters starts the day we file.
What does a trademark actually protect?
The name, logo, or tagline that identifies what you sell, not the product or service itself. A federal registration gives you nationwide rights in your class of goods, the presumption of ownership, and the standing to stop someone else from using a confusingly similar name.
Do I need one if I already have an LLC?
Yes. An LLC registration gives you the right to do business under that name in one state. It does not stop anyone else from using the name, and it does not stop someone in another state from registering it federally ahead of you. They are two different filings solving two different problems.
Can I file it myself?
You can. The application looks like a form, which is what makes it risky: the description of goods, the class, the filing basis, and the specimen all determine how much protection you end up with, and mistakes in them are often not fixable later. Most self-filed applications that fail do so on those details rather than on the name.
What if someone is already using my name?
That is what the search is for, and it is why the clearance opinion comes before the filing. Sometimes the other use is in a different class and both marks can coexist. Sometimes it is a genuine conflict and the right answer is to adjust the name now rather than after you have built recognition. Either way you will know before spending anything on a filing.
What happens after registration?
Registration has to be maintained. There are declarations due between the fifth and sixth years and renewals every ten, and a registration nobody defends can weaken. Ongoing watch service, deadline tracking, and enforcement letters are what the Orchard stage covers.
Do you work with clients outside Florida?
Yes. Trademark practice before the USPTO is federal, so I can represent clients in any state. Florida is where the office is, not the limit of the practice.
How do flat fees work?
You get the fee in writing before any work starts, and it does not change as the matter progresses. USPTO filing fees are paid directly to the government and are always separate. If something falls outside the stage, such as additional classes or a substantive refusal, I quote it before beginning, never after.
What is the difference between a free call and a paid consultation?
The free call is a 15-minute discovery call. We talk about your business, what you need, and whether Citrus Legal is the right fit. It is not legal advice. A paid consultation is 30 minutes of advice on your specific situation, your options, and your next step. Neither one creates an attorney-client relationship. That begins only once a signed engagement letter is in place.