Frank Giovanni Cortese

Frank did an amazing job with my case and I’m so glad that I hired him last summer. Bankruptcy is a very stressful thing to go through, but Frank was very trustworthy and diligent in making sure everything was completed on time. He was also very approachable if I had any concerns/questions. I highly ...recommend him for anyone considering bankruptcy.

Chose Cortese over a couple other lawyers I was considering and met to review all docs and possibly file same day. He would not give me a quote, but most hadn't so I did not think twice. When we finished consult, he asked me to sign and wait an hour for him to put paperwork together to file that day.... I was floored when he said the fee would be double what the average is in Chicago, but there was a payment plan. I had to think it over and he was fine with that. We scheduled a second meeting. He wanted the initial payment in cash at our next meeting. I went home to evaluate my finances and realized I cannot afford to take that cash out and asked to reschedule. He informed me he "will not be able to accept" my case because he cannot allow for rescheduling due to his inability to be flexible. His office is a rented space in one of those multi-company temp office spaces and he walked in as I was arriving the first afternoon. He sure did not appear to have people busting his door down where my reschedule would cause that much of a kink. Definitely would not recommend him as his prices is outrageous and he obviously has enough on his plate.

I was in a chapter 13 Bankruptcy which I was paying for a solid 2 years. I decided that it would be much more beneficial for me to do a conversion from a 13 to a 7. I had given Frank all of the information requested, paid all of the fees for a successful conversation. I had fully disclosed that in my... past I had already filed a chapter 7 and it needed to be exactly 8 years before we could file. He filed the conversion too early resulting in a dismissal of my request. Now that the time has passed and it is truly with-in the time frame he wants me to pay more attorney fees and another court filing fee. I feel that it was his mistake and oversight in the error which caused the dismissal. I requested a refund for the fees that I had paid and was told no that they are nonrefundable. At the very least a refund should have been given so I could have used that for the refiling fee and attorney fees re requested.

My experience with Mr. Cortese was quite positive. He is extremely professional and to the point. I understand how some people might consider him "rude", but you must understand that he is not there to be your friend. He is there to conduct business, and in my opinion he does it quite well. He expect...s the same professionalism from ud as we do him, and I'd expect nothing less. Think of it as a doctors appointment. If you are late or running into obstacles, you reschedule. Neither doctors or lawyers want or will stand for wasted time, that time could be used for clients who show up. He was very thorough, listened to my concerns and answered all questions. My bankruptcy was complete and finalized within 6 weeks. I have had to contact him a few times since with additional questions or even to request a copy of the bankruptcy paperwork be resent. He was quick to answer my questions and responded to my requests. His fees and my overall monthly payments were reasonable. I am very happy and would use him again. Thank you Mr. Cortese.