There is no question that quality legal services can get expensive, and it is not surprising that trademark holders will often decide to save money by handling their trademarks themselves.
While this approach can potentially work out for someone willing to put in the time and effort necessary to learn the trademark laws and regulations, along with the procedures of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, it may not be the best approach for protecting valuable branding.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has put together a very good writeup on many of the reasons why a trademark owner should seriously consider hiring competent trademark counsel to handle their valuable assets. The article is posted at this link.