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

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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

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Joan Marie Fenstermaker's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.9 /5.0

132 Client Reviews

Showing 31 - 35 of 132 reviews

Posted by ivon | March 28, 2022 | Hired Attorney | Landlord & Tenant

Amazing Lawyer

She is the best, After a few phone calls and some emails, her consultation made me feel very confident in her actions. I was able to get out of my lease and move into a new apartment very fast. I highly recommend her.. she knows her job and she was honest with me.

Posted by anonymous | March 08, 2022 | Hired Attorney

Excellent work

Joan helped out in a big way. She was quick, concise, and effective. If I ever have a similar issue in the future, she'll be the first person I reach out to.

Posted by anonymous | March 05, 2022 | Hired Attorney | Landlord & Tenant

great experience - security deposit recovered

I would highly recommend Joan. She is very knowledgeable, communicative, and decisive. She helped me recover the portion of my security deposit that was unlawfully withheld plus additional amounts for other violations I wouldn't have thought about. She clearly has a lot of experience representing te...nants and answered all of my questions along the way. She was always responsive when I reached out and really listened to my thoughts and questions. She made a very stressful situation as positive and smooth as it could be. Again, I highly recommend her!

Posted by Marie | March 02, 2022 | Hired Attorney | Lawsuits & Disputes

Amazing lawyer

Working with Joan was as good an experience as one can have while going through something as stressful and awful as a lawsuit. She kept me informed and explained anything I was confused about, equally willing to talk on the phone or email. She had incredible patience considering my landlord dragged e...very single thing that needed to be done out for as long as possible. Cannot recommend her enough.

Posted by anonymous | February 07, 2022 | Hired Attorney | Landlord & Tenant

Excellent tenant attorney and advocate

Joan was great to work with during a long drawn out process of breaking my lease early and getting my security deposit back. When I got a new job in a different city, she was an excellent resource and consulted with me on my options for breaking my lease. Later I returned to her after my landlord did... not return my security deposit, and Joan did a great job of advocating to help me reach a settlement. I would absolutely recommend her to any tenant wanting to understand their options in dealing with a difficult landlord!

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
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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