1
Free strategy call
We talk through the invention, run a patentability triage, and tell you whether a provisional is the right route. If patentability is weak, we say so before you pay anything.
Provisional patent application
Lock in your patent priority date — for the next 12 months.
A provisional establishes an early priority date and gives you 12 months to test the market before you commit to the full non-provisional. We draft the technical disclosure, file it, and diary the conversion deadline.
From $400 — a flat professional fee, quoted before any work.
Filed fast
Priority date locked
Spec drafted
From your invention
12-month runway
To the full filing
Legal team
GTC's patent team
Patent counsel
1,436+ patents10,747+ clients11 attorneys
1,436+ patents10,747+ clients11 attorneys10+ years
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Trusted by founders and brands worldwide
How it works
Three steps to a filed provisional patent.
2
Specification drafting — included
A registered patent practitioner drafts the technical specification, the claim-style support, and any drawings. The flat fee covers it. No per-hour billing and no quote after the fact.
3
Filing + 12-month diary
We file the application, deliver the priority-date receipt to your portal, and diary the 12-month conversion deadline. At month nine we send a memo on whether to convert.
What it costs
Transparent, per-jurisdiction pricing.
Pick where you're filing — the professional fee below is the live catalog price. Government fees and any translations are quoted separately and passed through at cost.
What's included
- Free strategy call: patentability triage and disclosure scoping
- Specification drafted by a registered patent practitioner — included in the flat fee
- Drawings briefed and prepared by an outside draftsman where needed
- Electronic filing with the patent office and an acknowledgment receipt
- Priority-date receipt delivered to your client portal
- 12-month diary set for the non-provisional conversion deadline
- Strategy memo at month nine on whether to convert, refile, or let it lapse
United States$700
flat professional fee
Government filing fees are passed through at cost and vary by entity size. The professional fee is flat — if a disclosure is unusually complex we say so on the free call and agree any difference in writing before work begins.
Get started
Start your provisional patent
Describe your invention and a patent attorney will review the scope and email a flat-fee quote — no payment, no obligation.
No payment required Reply within 1 business dayA GTC attorney reviews it & sends a flat-fee quote.
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01Brand details
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02More details
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03Your details
A provisional locks in your filing date for 12 months — file before any public disclosure or sale.
Brand details
1
A short descriptive title — for example "Self-sealing water-bottle cap". A working name is fine.
2
A paragraph on what it is and how it works — enough for us to scope the drafting. You can refine it with us later.
3
Provisionals are usually filed at the USPTO (US). Pick the office(s) where you want the early filing date — it gives you 12 months of "patent pending" before the full application is due.
4
Selling, demoing, publishing, or posting it starts a 12-month clock in the US — and can bar protection abroad. This is the most important timing question.
5
A provisional must convert to a full application within 12 months or the priority date is lost. We diary it and can handle the conversion.
Why GTC
Why a provisional fits some inventions and not others.
Legal team
GTC's patent team
Patent counsel
Attorney-led prosecution
Buy time before the full filing
A provisional gives you 12 months to gauge commercial viability before you commit to the cost of a non-provisional. It suits an invention that is real while the market response is still unknown.
Establish patent-pending status
Once the provisional is filed you can mark the product patent pending. The status deters copying and signals readiness to investors during a raise.
A bridge to international filing
A provisional priority date can be claimed in a PCT international application filed within the 12-month window, preserving your filing options across the major patent jurisdictions.
A disclosure that holds up
A thin provisional can lock in a priority your later application cannot fully claim. We draft the specification to support the non-provisional you intend to file, not just to get a date on record.
Your Customer Success Team
A dedicated team that owns your matter from start to finish.
Every GTC client gets a dedicated Account Manager and a Senior Account Manager who learn your business and stay with you from first email to final filing. They are named people who pick up the phone and already know your matter, so every step moves forward without delay.
Your Account Manager
Your day-to-day point of contact, who coordinates every matter, keeps things moving, and already knows your file. They have your full history, so you start every conversation where the last one left off.
Your Senior Account Manager
Senior oversight on strategy and escalations, stepping in as your needs grow, so every important detail stays on track.
A named person, on email or a call, at every step.
How we compare
How a GTC provisional compares to a DIY filing.
| What you get | GTC | Online filing services | Doing it yourself |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specification drafted by a registered patent practitioner | |||
| Flat professional fee quoted before any work | |||
| 12-month conversion deadline diaried for you | |||
| Strategy memo at month nine on whether to convert | |||
| Drawings briefed and prepared where needed | |||
| Priority-date receipt filed with the patent office |
Specification drafted by a registered patent practitioner
GTC
Online filing services
Doing it yourself
Flat professional fee quoted before any work
GTC
Online filing services
Doing it yourself
12-month conversion deadline diaried for you
GTC
Online filing services
Doing it yourself
Strategy memo at month nine on whether to convert
GTC
Online filing services
Doing it yourself
Drawings briefed and prepared where needed
GTC
Online filing services
Doing it yourself
Priority-date receipt filed with the patent office
GTC
Online filing services
Doing it yourself
Provisional timeline
From idea to patent-pending — the 12-month clock.
A provisional is quick to file but starts a firm 12-month deadline. Here is the path from your first call to a locked priority date, and the conversion decision that follows.
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Day 1
Free strategy call
We scope the invention, run a patentability triage, and tell you whether a provisional is the right move. You leave knowing where you stand, before paying anything.
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Week 1–3
Specification drafted and filed
A registered practitioner drafts the technical disclosure and any drawings, then files the application. Your priority date is locked the moment it lands.
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Day of filing
Patent-pending receipt delivered
The official acknowledgment hits your client portal. You can mark the product patent pending from that day.
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Month 12 — firm
Non-provisional conversion deadline
The 12-month window is statutory and cannot be extended. Convert in time and the priority date carries forward. Miss it and it is lost.
In their words
All your legal, in one place.
One accountable team across every practice, operating since 2016.
1,436+
Patents prosecuted
10,747+
Clients served
11
In-house attorneys
10+
Years since 2016
Provisional Patent FAQ
Frequently asked questions
No. A provisional locks in a priority date but is never examined. To pursue an actual patent you must convert to a non-provisional within 12 months, at which point examination begins. Missing the 12-month deadline forfeits the priority date.
Lock in your priority date
Ready when you are.
Book a free consultation with a registered patent attorney. We will talk through the invention, run a patentability triage, and confirm the flat fee covers your disclosure before you commit.
