How Much Does It Cost to Send a Trademark Cease and Desist Letter in California?

A trademark cease and desist letter in California costs $150-$500 with a flat-fee service or $750-$2,500 with a traditional law firm. Here's what drives the price and when each option makes sense.

Short answer: $150-$500 through a flat-fee legal letter service, $750-$2,500 through a traditional law firm billing hourly. Both produce a letter signed by a licensed California attorney citing the same statutes. The difference is overhead, not legal authority.

The price range exists because law firms sell time and flat-fee services sell outcomes. A partner at a Los Angeles IP firm billing $450/hour spends 2-4 hours on your letter: intake, research, drafting, revision. That's $900-$1,800 before the associate touches it. A flat-fee service uses standardized templates reviewed by an attorney, with customization for your specific situation. Same legal citations, same letterhead, same Bar number on the signature.

The cost breakdown

| Service type | Price range | What you get | Timeline | |-------------|------------|--------------|----------| | Flat-fee legal letter service | $150-$500 | Attorney-reviewed letter, mailed on firm letterhead | 3-7 business days | | Solo practitioner / small firm | $500-$1,200 | Custom-drafted letter, direct attorney access | 5-14 business days | | Mid-size IP firm | $1,000-$2,500 | Full research memo + letter, ongoing availability | 7-21 business days | | Big Law IP department | $2,500-$7,500 | Comprehensive IP analysis + letter + strategy memo | 14-30 business days |

For most ecommerce sellers fighting a counterfeiter on Amazon or Etsy, the flat-fee option resolves the problem. You don't need a $5,000 IP analysis to tell a dropshipper to stop using your photos.

What the letter actually cites (regardless of price)

Every competent trademark C&D letter references the same core statutes:

> Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1114 — Federal trademark infringement. If you have a registered trademark, this is the heavy hitter. Statutory damages range from $1,000 to $200,000 per counterfeit mark, or up to $2 million for willful infringement.

The letter also typically cites California Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200 (unfair competition), demands the infringer cease all sales, destroy remaining inventory, provide an accounting of profits, and respond within 10-14 days.

A $200 letter cites these statutes exactly the same way a $2,000 letter does. The counterfeiter's lawyer (if they have one) reads the legal exposure, not the billing rate.

When to spend more

Pay for a traditional firm when: the infringer is a well-funded company (not a solo dropshipper), you need to file for a TRO or preliminary injunction, the infringement involves complex patent or trade secret claims, or you anticipate federal litigation. In those cases, the firm's ongoing availability and courtroom experience justify the higher cost.

For everything else — a counterfeiter on Amazon, a copycat on Etsy, a competitor using your brand name in their ads — the flat-fee letter gets results at a fraction of the cost.

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Talk to My Lawyer sends attorney-drafted cease and desist letters for a flat fee. Your first letter is free. Get started here.

This article is general information only and is not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney for advice specific to your situation.