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The Zest

LegalZoom vs a flat-fee trademark attorney, line by line

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LegalZoom costs less up front: $899 against our $2,600, with the USPTO fee added on top of both. What you get for the difference is a named attorney who does every step, a written opinion, Office Action coverage that isn't discretionary, and a guarantee tied to the opinion.

I'm the flat-fee attorney in this comparison, so you should read it knowing that. I've kept every LegalZoom line to what LegalZoom's own pages say today, with sources at the bottom. If a price matters to your decision, check the current price on their checkout page, because it can change.

The price

LegalZoom: Premium Trademark Registration is $899 plus federal fees. The USPTO fee is $350 per class, charged before filing.

Citrus Legal: One mark is $2,600 flat, or three payments of $950. The USPTO fee is the same $350 per class, paid separately.

The USPTO fee is identical no matter who files. So the real comparison is $899 against $2,600 for the legal work, before anything goes wrong.

LegalZoom: A federal and common law search, legal advice on the odds of success, and a free second search if there's an issue with your first choice.

Citrus Legal: I run the search myself across federal records, state records and real-world use. You get a written opinion that rates the risk and explains it. If the first search comes back high risk, the replacement search is free.

The difference is the written opinion. LegalZoom's page says "legal advice on odds of success" and doesn't say whether you get that in writing. Ask. A written opinion is something you can come back to when you're deciding whether to print 5,000 labels.

Who does the work

LegalZoom: An attorney at LZ Legal Services, the law firm LegalZoom owns, which is licensed by the Arizona Supreme Court. The page doesn't name the attorney, and LegalZoom's footer says it also "provides access to independent attorneys." The USPTO's own advice is to ask for the attorney's bar number and check it with the state bar.

Citrus Legal: Me. One attorney does every search, opinion, filing and call. Nothing is outsourced. You know my name before you pay.

Classes and the description

LegalZoom: "Trademark classes selected by your attorney."

Citrus Legal: I pick the classes and write the description of goods and services with you, because several parts of an application can't be fixed after filing.

Both include this. The question to ask either of us is how the description gets written, since a free-form description adds a USPTO surcharge of $200 per class.

Office Actions

This is the line that matters most, because it's where the price can change.

LegalZoom: The package includes "Response for minor procedural office actions," defined as things like a disclaimer requirement or amending a mark description. A footnote says LZ Legal Services "may choose, at its sole discretion," whether to respond. Anything beyond that is priced separately on LegalZoom's pricing page, from $199 for simple responses up to $799 for a likelihood of confusion refusal, plus $99 per additional cited mark.

Citrus Legal: Every procedural Office Action is included, and I answer them. A substantive refusal, such as likelihood of confusion or descriptiveness, is quoted before any work starts.

So for a routine request from the examiner, both of us cover it, but only one of us promises to. For a hard refusal, both of us charge more. LegalZoom's substantive tiers are lower than mine. What you're paying for with me is the search and opinion designed to avoid that refusal in the first place, and the guarantee below if my opinion was wrong.

The guarantee

LegalZoom: If the USPTO issues a final refusal, LegalZoom waives its fee for one new application, for a different mark. The waiver "is for LegalZoom's fees only and does not include government filing fees."

Citrus Legal: If my written opinion rated the mark low risk and the USPTO refuses it, I file a new application at no attorney fee. You pay only the USPTO fee.

These are close. The main difference is what the guarantee is tied to. Ours is tied to my written risk rating, so you know at the start whether it applies.

Refunds

LegalZoom: You can request a refund within 30 days of purchase. Cancellation fees may apply, and refunds end once an attorney consultation is completed. Government fees aren't refunded once filed.

Citrus Legal: Our terms are in the engagement letter you sign before paying. The USPTO fee isn't refundable from anyone once it's paid to the government.

Monitoring

LegalZoom: Three months included, then it auto-renews at $249 a year until you cancel.

Citrus Legal: Not part of the filing package. Nothing renews on its own.

Track record

LegalZoom: Its comparison article says LZ Legal Services has an "85% success rate" counting the free second application, without saying how success is measured.

Citrus Legal: Every application we've filed has been approved so far, with zero refusals. We're a one-attorney firm, so that's a small number compared with LegalZoom's volume, and I'd rather say so than let the claim stand alone.

The broader research points the same direction for attorneys in general. A study by Deborah Gerhardt and Jon McClanahan found that about 82% of attorney-filed applications reached publication, against about 60% filed without one. Publication is the USPTO's preliminary approval. That study compared lawyers with non-lawyers, and LegalZoom's package does include a lawyer, so it doesn't settle LegalZoom against us.

When LegalZoom is the better fit

I'll say this plainly. If your budget for the legal work is under $1,000, your name is distinctive, you've already checked the field yourself, and you're comfortable paying separately if a hard refusal comes, LegalZoom's package does the core steps for a lot less money.

When a flat-fee attorney is the better fit

If the name is already on product, if your industry is crowded with similar names, if you'd rather know the attorney's name and have their opinion in writing, or if a refusal would cost you more than the fee difference in rebranding, the extra cost tends to earn its keep. The article on choosing a trademark attorney has the questions to ask any of us before you pay.

If the name is still being decided, our search alone is $650, and it credits in full toward filing if you file within 14 days. To see the packages and pick one, start here.

Questions about your name? Email us at hello@citrus.legal, or book a paid 30-minute consultation (opens in a new tab) for advice on your specific situation.

Sources

This article is general information, not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.

When you are ready to own it

One mark. One flat fee. One attorney.

The search, the written opinion, the federal application and procedural Office Actions, for $2,600 or three payments of $950. Nothing is filed until you approve the search. If I call your mark low risk and the USPTO refuses it, I file again at no attorney fee.

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