I need to speak to a Patent attorney about an Idea..

There are many excellent patent attorneys you can find on Auto and elsewhere who can help you. Find someone with experience and expertise to consult with you.

The Patent Office publishes a searchable online database of registered patent attorneys. Visit the link below, query for those working in "San Diego" and start researching who you would like to hire. To learn how, read the article via the second link below. Note: Even for a simple mechanical invention, the cost of drafting and filing a patent application will be around $5K to $10K. Your attorney should, however, try to persuade you to pay for a "prior art" search. That will turn up similar inventions that your attorney will evaluate to assess whether your invention [mere "ideas" are insufficient] is patentable. Good luck.

Search on , or search the USPTO's database listing all US patent attorneys. Find someone local to you, or find someone recommended by someone you know and trust. Best of luck!

I agree with my colleagues, both the USPTO search page for registered patent attorneys and are good resources to find a patent attorney. To answer one of your concerns, any attorney that you consult with should:(a) ask some preliminary general questions about the nature of your invention and potential competitors or licensees, to ensure that he does not have a conflict of interest and can listen to your confidential information; and (b) assure you that, by seeking legal services, he has a duty to keep your confidential information confidential even if you do not hire him. You should interview at least 2-3 different patent attorneys to find the one that you will work best with, who has the right technical and patent application experience, and who has the right price - which will probably NOT be the lowest - because software and electronics applications can be tricky and require experience, te and effort to do correctly.