I applied for a non-provisional patent, and filled out all of the paperwork with out an attorney. You can go to the US Patent office on line and download all of the forms you need. After the initial approval of your patent, you have one year to file the final application and finalize it. The fees aren't actually too expensive. Just make sure you read all f the information because there are 3 different types of patents. They issue you a patent number that you can use and then claim it is a "patent pending" item. However, if you file for the non-provisional patent, and don't finish the paperwork, it expires in a year. It basically gives you a year to finsh the plans and get the details done. Hope this helps!!!
Kendra Tillery