Your best way to find a patent lawyer is to use Google, and add 'stop' words to the query. Your query would look like this: patent lawyer -CA -biz -"worthless shyster", where 'CA' and 'biz' are words, and 'worthless shyster' is a phrase, from type of sites you don't want in the search results.
Anyone can set up a patent lawyer info web site, but only a few can offer a reliable, trustworthy service, that suits your case. If they haven't got an office, or you can't get them on the 'phone, or they won't return your calls, or they take your money and you never hear from them again, can you say you got a good deal, even if it was cheap?
It's very easy to set up a patent lawyer web site on the internet, without any qualifications, or even having an office. A 'substantial site' is one with a postal address, telephone number, named personnel and preferably a member of, or regulated by, the relevant authority.
FOLLOW YOUR GUT INSTINCT. We are all archangels of the Lord. We are smarter than we think we are. Put aside your egotism (pride), and ask youself, in your heart of hearts "Is this the right man for the job?". Do that, and you'll make a lot fewer mistakes buying patent lawyer services.
You should ask if the patent lawyer intends to actually handle your case himself. Many firms simply refer such cases to the 'real' specialist and receive part of the fee in exchange. This may not be in your best interest.
Here's another tip: be wary of internet sites with names like Go-4patent-lawyer.co.uk or You-patent-lawyer.gb.uk. These sites are often the tertiary site of the real patent law-firm; they might be a big name in the business, or they might be a few Los Angeles fly-by-nights chancing their arm in the patent lawyer leads game.
The site may have been set up by a big law-firm to focus solely on getting patent law work, and get more internet 'traffic' from people looking for same, or it may just be a 'throwaway' site with no proper support, run by people who sell on your contact information.
Internet sites of this type won't be able to help you with unusual queries. Your information may be sold on to three or more 'real' patent lawyer law-firms, with the result your phone will be ringing off the hook for the next two weeks with calls from eager clerks, flicking through a database, and finding your name.
Ideally, what you see is what you should get. Regardless, any law-firm providing patent lawyer-related services should have a simple list of rates and fees, The lower, the better, unless it's some fly-by-night two-year-old upstart LLC working out of a back room in Delaware.
