Question: I had a website tying messages-with gifts online around 2006. I notice that there are several patents dealing with this topic and I believe that I have written evidence that I considered the same processes that are now patented. I am wondering if I have something to sell to the patent holders?

Answer: 
I am not a patent agent or attorney, yet I believe patent agents and attorneys' help is extremely valuable for filing patent applications because of **their experience**. You can do large parts of the filing yourself, yet you should better seek help for writing the application and the arguments during prosecution.

**It is quite easy to obtain a patent entirely on your own**. If you invented something worth patenting, and have some experience in writing say scientific papers, you can get a patent on this invention eventually. It requires quite a fair amount of work, quite a long time, but it's doable. However, the patent you will get might be worth nothing at all *from an IP point of view*. It might even be counter-productive as it will publicly disclose your invention.

The description is filed initially, and mostly cannot be changed. It sets the priority date. If you realize you missed something in your description, you might need to file a new patent application and added matter will get a new priority date. Since patent prosecution is long, you will typically realize this during examination, several years later, and your invention will not be so fresh and will therefore be less patentable.

**Patent agents and attorneys will help you get the description right initially**. They can ask you to write a description of your invention and will transform it to make it a great patent application. For example, they know about subtle elements that must be present the description, especially in the difficult field of software patents. They know this because they are aware of appeals decisions and they acquired experience from past cases with other clients. You could read about appeals and other decisions, learn from blogs (and pass the exam to become an agent yourself), yet there are things you will only learn from experience of prosecution. Besides, if you plan to seek patents internationally, you will need help from agents or attorneys who are aware of usage abroad.

**Patent agents and attorneys will also help for writing claims**. Part of this help comes from *not being the inventor* and understanding the value of the patent application. Part of this help also comes from their experience of prosecution. Also, they know the usage for writing claims, but you can figure this out yourself.

**Patent agents and attorneys also know how to argue with examiners**. This is less critical than getting the description right initially, yet it is both a time-saver and a way to get a patent *as broad as possible*. Examination is often tough and office actions are not always easy to understand. Besides, not being the inventor helps them react rationally. They also know the usage for writing amendments, but you can figure this out yourself.

**Patent agents and attorneys know how to file forms** and design figures that respect the requirements. This is the less critical aspect and will only save time. If you do it wrong, the office will usually give you a chance to fix the forms or the figures.

Eventually, **patent agents and attorneys know about the timing**. They typically use software or some tool to perform all operations in time. Most offices will tell you about acceptable delays for procedure, and in many cases *you can do things late with a financial penalty*. Yet failing to respect timing can invalidate your application.
I agree completely with Ken S (the above poster), and couldn't put it better. I have also drafted my own patent application, and my lawyer has had to change very little. 

Writing the claims is something else. It seems to require a different, more strategic approach, than the descriptions. Those are truly just technical documents detailing your invention and illustrating the novel aspects.

Still, going it alone might not always be a bad choice. The claims I had written, but not shown, to my lawyer were nearly identical to her wording and substance as well. Either she is a bad lawyer or I've grasped something about the process. 

Studying approved patents, and also what happened to those products, is great practice whether you lawyer-up or not.