Joan Marie Fenstermaker

Joan Marie Fenstermaker

4.9
Rating: 7.3

Licensed for 31 years

Landlord or tenant Lawyer at Chicago, IL
Practice Areas: Landlord & Tenant, Litigation, Real Estate

105 W. Madison St., Ste. 600, Chicago, IL

About Joan

Biography

Practice Areas

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 30 minutes

Hourly Rates

$ 300-425 per hour

Contingency

30%-50%


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

Looking for an attorney? Avvo can help.

search module image

Search our directory

Quickly connect with top attorneys through our legal directory to get help with your legal issue.

chat module image

Avvo's live chat agents can help coordinate a consultation with a local attorney.

Chat with a live agent who can match you with the right attorney for your legal needs.

Chat with

Licenses

Licensed in Illinois for 31 years

State: Illinois

Acquired: 1994

Active and Authorized to Practice Law

No misconduct found

Location

Joan M Fenstermaker, PC

105 W. Madison St., Ste. 600, Chicago, IL, 60602

Ad

Transform legal challenges into solutions.

Connect now to review your situation.

The Avvo Rating explained

display-bg

The Avvo Rating explained

Joan Marie Fenstermaker's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.9 /5.0

132 Client Reviews

Showing 71 - 75 of 132 reviews

Posted by Ana | October 05, 2018 | Hired Attorney | Lawsuits & Disputes

Excellent work!

She assured me from the start that this was a good case. She explained everything to me clearly and answered all my questions. She communicated with me any time I needed to know something. Highly recommend her!

Posted by William | September 06, 2018 | Hired Attorney

Great attorney intently focused on client needs

Joan provided exceptional service! I couldn't have asked for more form an attorney. She helped guide me through the process of my case, clarified all my questions, and clearly worked very hard to obtain a great outcome for my case. I would recommend her to anyone, and will definitely keep her in mind... for my future legal needs.

Posted by Lauren | August 07, 2018 | Hired Attorney | Landlord & Tenant

Highly recommend!

Joan helped my husband and I legally get out of a lease with a landlord who was not willing to work with us and come to a mutually beneficial agreement when we had to move for personal reasons. We even got our full security deposit back and then some! She was incredibly easy to work with, communicate...d clearly and often throughout the process, and really knew her stuff. We can't thank her enough. Highly recommend!!

Posted by Taimur | June 03, 2018 | Hired Attorney | Landlord & Tenant

Best Attorney that I have ever had!

If you have a legitimate case and you want the best, then Attorney Joan is your best option! She really went the extra mile to help me out in a timely fashion. Joan was very professional, fast on responding to all my questions (And I had quite a few) and very knowledgeable. She always stayed one ...step ahead of the process and was never caught by surprise by any obstacles during the case. I was able get my rental security deposit back in full, got out of lease and she made the landlords pay for her attorney fees. All in all, she is the best and I would not think twice in using her services again if needed!

Posted by Michael | April 12, 2018 | Hired Attorney | Landlord & Tenant

Outstanding attorney, very professional and gets the job done!

We had a dispute with our former landlord and we needed help FAST due to the condition of our apartment. We contacted Joan and she handled our case right away with a tremendous amount of professionalism. Within 20 minutes of my initial phone call with her, Joan figured out a solid plan to help us ...and within three days, we were out of our poor apartment situation and into our new, wonderful place. None of this would have been possible without Joan's knowledge, patience and insight. She is persistent and fought for us to get a fair settlement as well. Our former landlord low-balled us on his initial settlement offer and Joan refused to let our former landlord dictate the settlement. She fought for us for well over a month and we received not only our deposit back but also pro-rated rent back as well. We always felt at ease with Joan on our side throughout the entire process. She has a high level of confidence and is a great communicator. She is an outstanding attorney and I HIGHLY recommend her for any of your landlord disputes. I cannot say enough positive things about her. Thank you, Joan!

See All Client Reviews

Joan Marie Fenstermaker's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Joan
Mark V. Clay headshot
Mark Clay

Family lawyer | Aug 29

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I highly endorse Mrs. Fenstermaker. Very experienced and caring attorney who gets great results in representing clients. Keep up a great work!"

David Stephen Morris headshot
David Morris

Landlord or tenant lawyer | Aug 12

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Knowledgeable, empathic and committed to the passionate representation of tenants."

David Lyon Yanoff headshot
David Yanoff

Landlord or tenant lawyer | Feb 11

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Joan knows the law and how to apply it to her case. When working opposite her on cases she remains professional in her dealings."

Melinda Longford Power headshot
Melinda Power

Real estate lawyer | Jan 10

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. She is extremely thorough and prepared. She has a good relationship with her clients. She wants to help people. Melinda Power"

View All Endorsements
Gregory Forrest Coplan headshot
Gregory Coplan

Personal injury lawyer

Konstantinos T. Sparagis headshot
Konstantinos Sparagis

Bankruptcy and debt lawyer

David Lyon Yanoff headshot
David Yanoff

Landlord or tenant lawyer

Melinda Longford Power headshot
Melinda Power

Divorce and separation lawyer

Experience

Rating:  7.3 (Very Good)

Honors

2015

Certificate of Appreciation, Metropolitan Tenants Organization

Work Experience

2019 - Present

Principal, Joan M. Fenstermaker, PC

2001 - 2019

Partner, Kendle, Mikuta & Fenstermaker

1994 - 2000

Associate Attorney, Fischer, Kendle & Wahlers

Associations

2018 - Present

Metropolitan Tenants Organization

Board Member

Sample of Legal Cases

Landlord falsely claim property was owner-occupied

Ruling in favor of the tenant for return of the deposit plus 2 x security deposit and attorney's fees

See More Legal Cases

Education

1994

DePaul University College of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

1991

Indiana University

BS - Bachelor of Science

Speaking Engagements

2013

Un-Common Law on 4/28/13

Tenants' rights

2013

Hotline Volunteer Training 9/28/13

Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance

2013

Hotline Volunteer Training 6/8/13

Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance

2013

Hotline Volunteer Training 11/23/13

Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution