Has anyone dealt with prior art search before patent filing?

EDIT: added more context below. Quick background on my situation — any input appreciated.

prior art search before patent filing. I've been dealing with this for about 16 months now and the situation isn't improving.

I have already consulted briefly with a lawyer but did not get a clear answer.

What's the typical outcome in situations like this?

Every time I see a post like this...

What trips people up most is hiring an attorney to send the initial letter. I'd recommend being patient with the process instead.

Have you tried reaching out to your state's attorney general? They sometimes have free resources or mediation services.

This happened to me too. Have you tried filing a complaint with the relevant agency? In my case they investigated and it got resolved without needing a lawyer.