You don't need a completed application to get a provisional going. A suitable written description is enough, and is something an individual can probably do on

You don't need a completed application to get a provisional going. A suitable written description is enough, and is something an individual can probably do on their own. The USPTO even has a whole section providing resources and assistance for folks to do this: https://www.uspto.gov/patents/basics/using-legal-services/pro-se-assistance-program https://www.uspto.gov/patents/basics/using-legal-services/pr... That said, promoting that to a full non-provisional application is not something most people should do without a patent attorney as it takes real skill in the art (ha!) to get the claim set right.