What happens after your IVAP arrives
From shortlist to filed provisional: the handoff to your patent counsel, step by step.
Your Invention Value Assessment Portfolio (IVAP) lands. You read it, share it with counsel, and the question becomes: how do we go from this 25-page document to a filed provisional in your name? Here's the step-by-step we've seen work, anchored in the Cortex demo case.
Day 0 — Read the IVAP yourself, first
Spend 20 minutes with Section 0 (the dashboard) before forwarding to anyone. The dashboard surfaces 4 numbers and 1 recommendation. If those don't match your gut, the rest of the IVAP won't either — better to flag the disagreement before counsel reads it. Most founders find at least one rubric score they want to push back on; SlingIP's audit trail makes that conversation efficient.
Day 1 — Forward to your patent agent of record
If you don't have one, the Hero CTA on /pricing can help connect you with independent registered patent agents, where available. If you do, forward the IVAP as-is — it's structured the way they read. Include the engagement URL so they can drill into individual candidates without printing 80 pages.
Day 1–3 — Counsel reads, drafts an engagement letter
The agent spends roughly 2 hours on the first read alone (vs. 6–10 cold) — that's the reading-and-triage step only, not the engagement's total attorney-hours figure (see below). Their engagement letter typically scopes the top recommendation as the first provisional, with optional add-ons for candidates 2 and 3. You sign, pay the agent's flat fee.
Week 1–2 — Inventor interviews
The agent runs ~30-minute interviews with each named inventor. SlingIP's inventorship attestation pre-flagged the exposure cases (prior employer, funding source). The interview confirms or corrects those, plus pulls out narrative details only the inventor knows.
Week 2–3 — Provisional draft
Counsel drafts the provisional, anchored to the IVAP claim sketches. Common pattern: claim 1 from sketch direction A, dependents from B and C, specification expanded from the candidate's evidence chunks. The drafter usually adds 2–4 dependent claims the IVAP didn't surface — that's expected.
Week 3–4 — Review, file
You and the agent review one round. Filing happens 3–4 weeks after IVAP delivery, well inside the §102(b) bar timeline most founders are working against. Filing fees: $300 USPTO + $1,800–$5,500 attorney fee (flat, varies by counsel).
Total elapsed from IVAP delivery to filed provisional: ~4 weeks. Total founder time after the initial 90-minute SlingIP intake: ~5 hours across inventor interviews, calls, and reviews. Total attorney hours: ~12, of which roughly 5 are reviewing the packaged deliverable and preparing the filing decision — roughly half what a cold engagement runs.