This is really hard to ascertain. Your best bet is to start shopping around for intellectual property attorneys and patent attorneys in your state...

Can I obtain a utility patent if my first application was published?

My colleagues are both right. Since your application was published, it will act as prior art against you. You have one year from your public...

Are there Intellectual Property lawyers who would take a portion of the potential patent royalty instead of the filing fee?

This has been done before, and can be done. The question is whether a patent application attorney will be able put together the patent application...

2 inventors 1 patent how it works?

For a patent, you can have one inventor, or two inventors, or many inventors. In fact, whoever invented the composition of matter, process (also...

Putting your idea for an invention out there to prevent others from obtaining a patent does not seem like a good idea to me. Beyond patent...

How soon does a divisional patent need to be filed after it is found to be necessary to retain rights and filing date?

In the case of a divisional application, you will retain your original filing date for those claims and material that you submitted originally. ...

You can file a divisional application and separate out the claims, preserving your filing date for them for a separate patent. However, once you...

Is it best to include a possibly overly broad claim in a patent and possibly risk rejection of narrower claims? See example..

What is the nature of the prior art? Is it obvious to someone skilled in that field to use an oval shape, as opposed to a circular one? If I were...

What if it is same sex, under the age of 16 and not consensual?

I agree with my colleague. I will also add that what you describe may involve a minor, below the age of consent. I believe that the age of...

Yes, thank you, I am aware ideas are not patentable.

Yes, ideas are not patentable. However, if you can incorporate your idea into an invention or method, then you can get protection for your claims...