Stage 01 · Seed · The trademark search
Your state gave you an LLC. It didn't make the name yours.
Your LLC registers your company with your state. A trademark is what protects the name nationwide.
Your state only tells you whether you can do business under a name in that state. It doesn't give you ownership of it. A federal trademark does. Before you file one, find out if the name is actually available. I check federal and state records plus real-world use and give you a written opinion.
Questions first? Email us.
- You have an LLC and figured that made the name yours.
- You're about to spend on a logo, a website or packaging.
- You've used the name for a while and never checked it.
- Someone else's name looks a little too close to yours.
- You want to know where you stand before you file anything.
Why it matters
Using a name is not the same as owning it.
You registered the LLC.
You bought the domain.
You got the handle.
None of those give you the name.
An LLC lets you do business under a name in one state. A domain and a handle are rentals from a company that can take them back. The thing that gives you the right to stop someone else building on your name is a federal trademark registration.
What a trademark actually is
Not your business name on a certificate. It is the link between a name and the specific goods or services you sell. Two businesses can own the same word if they sell different things, which is why a name being “taken” somewhere is not the end of the story, and why a name that looks free on Google can already be closed to you.
The cost of finding out late
The search is cheap. Finding out later is not.
- 01
Someone else files first.
The years you spent building the name become their leverage over you.
- 02
The letter arrives late.
A cease and desist after the packaging is printed and the signage is up.
- 03
Your filing is refused.
Over a mark you never saw. The government filing fees do not come back.
- 04
You rebrand.
New logo, new domain, new handles. Every customer who knew you has to learn you again.
- 05
A deal stalls.
An investor or an Amazon Brand Registry listing waits while you prove the name is yours.
Who it is for
Built for founders who are about to be attached to a name.
Most of the people I work with built something before anyone told them they were allowed to: a coaching practice, a product line, a service business, a following. The name came from them, and it is usually the last thing they think to protect.
Seed is for you if
- You have an LLC, a domain and a handle, and you assumed that covered the name.
- You are a coach, consultant or creator, or you sell products online, and the name is how people find you.
- You are about to spend on a logo, packaging, signage or a website and want to know the name is safe first.
- You have settled on a name, or nearly, and want a real answer before you commit, not a Google search.
- You want a lawyer to check and tell you the truth, without a course, a portal or a paralegal in between.
Probably not for you if
- You already hold a federal registration for this exact name and what you sell.
- Someone has already sent you a cease-and-desist, or your application was refused. That needs a paid consultation, not a search.
What the $650 gets you
$650
Credits in full toward a Grove or Harvest application package if you file within 14 days of your opinion letter. The fee is nonrefundable and earned upon receipt.
Everything you need to decide.
- A search of federal trademark records, all fifty states' records, and real-world use that was never registered
- A written opinion letter in plain English: where your name stands, what the real risks are, and a clear call: file it, adjust it, or pick another name
- A strategy and debrief call with me. Not a portal, not a paralegal, not a bot
- An answer before you spend another dollar on a logo, packaging or signage
- The letter is yours to keep, whether or not you go on to file
Questions first? Email us.
How it works
Four steps, start to finish.
- Step 01
Sign and pay online.
Pick Seed on the Start page, tell me about the name, then sign and pay right there. Card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
- Step 02
Your questionnaire.
A short intake form lands in your inbox so the details are right before the search starts.
- Step 03
Your search.
Within five business days of your completed questionnaire, the search and written opinion are done.
- Step 04
Your strategy and debrief call.
We walk through what I found and what I would do next.
Start to finish, in less than two weeks.
The credit
If you file, the $650 comes back to you.
Retain Citrus Legal for a full-service application package (Grove or Harvest) within 14 days of the date on your clearance opinion letter, and the full $650 comes off the package price. Grove, the package most clients choose, is $2,600 plus USPTO fees. If you go ahead within 14 days, you have already paid $650 of it.
Seed does not credit toward Sprout, which covers the search and the application only. It also does not credit toward Orchard or any monitoring or post-registration services.
Who runs it
One attorney, start to finish.
Never a paralegal, never a bot. I am Gabrielle Maria Crawford, Esq., founder of Citrus Legal. I run your search myself, write the opinion myself, and take your call myself.
- Admitted
- The Florida Bar
- Juris doctor
- University of Miami School of Law
- Practice
- Trademarks nationwide under federal law; business contracts in Florida
- Based in
- Saint Petersburg, Florida
A little about me
Work hard, play hard.
I started Citrus Legal because I was tired of working on other people's terms. I believe everyone should own their work. Own your business. Own your name. Own what you make.
Why Citrus? Because citrus has an unmistakable identity. You know it the second you see it. It's bright, it's fun, it's vibrant, the way life should be and the way our work should be. I bring that same energy to my work every day, and I want my clients to feel it in theirs.
Off the clock
When I'm not working from my home office, my balcony or a coffee shop, you'll find me:
- Surfing (or lounging) somewhere on Florida's Gulf Coast
- In a spin or yoga class near you
- At the gym. Total gym rat.
A real person, never a bot. Every consultation is with me, the attorney.
Before you start
The questions I get most.
Isn't my LLC enough?
No. An LLC lets you do business under a name in one state. It gives you no right to stop anyone else from using it.
Can't I just Google it?
Google shows you what is visible today. It does not show you pending applications, dead marks that still block, state registrations, or a name close enough to yours to get your application refused. A cheap online search gets you a database report, but no attorney's opinion on what it means for you.
What if the search says the name is taken?
Then you found out for $650 instead of after launch. The opinion letter tells you how close the conflict really is and whether there is a way through it.
Does the search guarantee my application will be approved?
No, and nothing can. What the search does is tell you the real risk before you spend on an application, and the letter tells you what I would do about it.
Does this include filing?
No. This is the search and the opinion. If you go on to file, the $650 credits toward Grove or Harvest.
How long does the whole trademark take?
Registration at the USPTO usually runs a year or more. The search and opinion take less than two weeks, and that is the part that decides whether the year is worth starting.
Do I need to get on a call first?
No. You can start the search right now: pick Seed, tell me about the name, then sign and pay online. If you have questions first, email us and we'll get back to you.
What happens after I pay?
A short questionnaire lands in your inbox so the details are right. Within five business days of your completed questionnaire, the search and written opinion are done, and we walk through them together on your strategy and debrief call.
Do you work with businesses outside Florida?
Yes. Federal trademarks are national, and I handle trademark work for founders anywhere in the United States. Business and contract work stays Florida-only.
What do you actually search?
The federal register, all fifty state registers, and common-law use: names that were never registered but are in use, which can still block you. Then I read the results the way an examining attorney would, including names that look or sound like yours, not just exact matches.
Is it one name per search?
Yes. Each Seed covers one name. If you are still choosing between names, email us first and we will figure out the right place to start.
How do I pay, and what if I need to reschedule?
You pay the $650 by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay when you sign on the Start page. If you need to move your strategy and debrief call, just give 24 hours' notice.
Free guide · carefully crafted by an attorney
Not ready to start yet?
Seven things every business owner should do to protect their brand. Four pages, plain English, no jargon. The last page is a worksheet you can fill in.
Ready when you are
Find out before you are attached to it.
Start the search right now and have a written answer in less than two weeks.
Questions first? Email us.