An invention must be novel in order to qualify for a U.S. patent.  A patentability search will help to identify the current state of the art; i.e. whether all or some aspects of your invention are already known to the public. 

Inventors may want to know whether their product will infringe any enforceable patents when it enters the marketplace.  A product clearance search will help to identify any issued U.S. Patents or allowed  patent claims that may be potential obstacles for the inventor.

A provisional patent application allows an inventor to receive a filing date from the U.S. Patent Office, but at a much lower cost than a non-provisional application.  A provisional patent application lasts for one year and is not published.  An inventor may use that year to test the market and generate interest for their invention.  Prior to the one-year anniversary the the filing date of the provisional application, it must be converted into a non-provisional application and filed with the U.S. Patent Office.  

A non-provisional patent application allows an inventor to receive a filing date from the U.S. Patent Office and to enter the queue for examination.  This is the preferred course when an inventor is more certain about seeking patent protection because the patent application will typically be published after 18 months and will most definitely be published upon issuance of a patent.

U.S. Patents are not enforceable in foreign countries.  If an inventor wishes to seek patent protection in a foreign country, the inventor will need to file a patent application in that country.  The patent application may be filed directly in that foreign country or, in many cases, the inventor may file a PCT Application first.  PCT Applications are only recognized by countries that are signatories to the Patent Cooperation Treaty.

All listed patent services will be billed on a flat-fee basis.  The estimated fees and costs will vary, depending upon the type and scope of the service requested.