Advise on Trademarks

Rip

Hi,
I am wanting to know if anyone has filed their own trademark application with the trademark office.  How hard was it?  Was the paperwork confusing?  How hard is it to keep up with the renewals?  Is it something that I want to try on my own or do I need to just bite the bullet and hire an attorney to help me?  If so, how do you find someone that can handle it for you. 
Thank you in advance for your advise and help.  I have been using my logo and name for about five years and am now starting to expand the area I will be marketing to.
Lynn

pepperlegal

Notwithstanding some of the anti-lawyer sentiment to the contrary, trademark lawyers can be very helpful in not only guiding you through the trademark application process, but also conducting a comprehensive trademark search prior to filing the application.  The trademark search serves to determine the likelihood that the US Patent and Trademark Office may object to your proposed trademark on the grounds that is confusingly similar to existing trademarks.  Understanding the nuances of trademark law is very important in reviewing the results of any such search.I and others on this board perform this sort of work, and I repeat Maria`s comment about only taking advice from qualified lawyers on this subject.