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 1 - 5 of 44 reviews | Lawsuits & Disputes

Posted by Kateryna | March 23, 2026 | Hired Attorney | Lawsuits & Disputes

Very satisfied with outcome of my case

I am so glad my friend shared Joan’s contact. I was pleasantly surprised how fast she responded, she was extremely professional, detail oriented, and proactive. I am very happy about the outcome of my case! Highly recommend!

Posted by Anna | January 30, 2026 | Hired Attorney | Lawsuits & Disputes

Thanks Joan!

I cannot recommend Attorney Joan Fenstermaker highly enough. Three years ago, she helped me recover my security deposit from a shady landlord who ignored my emails and pretended they didn’t owe me anything. Joan stepped in, handled everything, and quickly secured a settlement in my favor. She made an... incredibly stressful situation feel manageable and fought to make sure I was treated fairly. Fast forward to yesterday… I ran into another issue with a different property manager, and even years later Joan went out of her way to take time out of her day to help me. Within five minutes, she had resolved the problem. That level of dedication speaks volumes about how much she truly cares about her clients and about protecting tenants’ rights. If you’re dealing with a security deposit issue or any landlord dispute, I highly recommend hiring Joan. She’s knowledgeable, responsive, and will take care of everything. I’m beyond grateful for her help.

Posted by anonymous | June 03, 2025 | Hired Attorney | Lawsuits & Disputes

Competent and responsive.

I had some issues with my ex landlord. They managed to make him pay all the damages and lawsuit fees while the landlord was ignoring all the emails.

Posted by anonymous | March 18, 2025 | Hired Attorney | Lawsuits & Disputes

best attorney in town!!!

My daughter rent off- campus during her last year in college, unfortunately she encountered a landlord who illegally withheld her rental deposit, like many students renting off-campus, she was unfairly denied the return of her deposit at the end of her lease. I couldn’t let my daughter be treated th...is way, so we turned to Joan and Nicolas to fight for justice on our behalf. Without a doubt, the landlord was a tough and sophisticated player, I’m sure my daughter wasn’t the first to fall into their trap. But despite facing this difficult landlord and their attorney, Joan and Nicolas successfully held them accountable, having them returned back every single penny of our deposit! We are beyond grateful for the fairness Joan and Nico restored for my daughter! It was about so much more than just recovering her deposit—it was about relieving her of an unfair burden as she moves forward into the next chapter of her life! Throughout my life, I’ve worked with different attorneys across various fields, and I’ve learned that while it’s easy to find experienced and reputable lawyers, finding truly honest ones is rare. Joan and Nicolas have both—and that makes all the difference! I hope everyone has the luck of encountering kind and fair people, but if you ever find yourself in a situation like my daughter’s, don’t feel helpless! Talk to Joan and Nicolas—they will fight for the justice you deserve!

Posted by anonymous | October 15, 2024 | Hired Attorney | Lawsuits & Disputes

Grateful for her experience and knowledge

Joan got us out of a bad situation where our rights we were not being treated fairly. It was a relief to have the wisdom and experience of her team to reach the resolution we wanted as painlessly as possible.

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

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