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 1 - 5 of 36 reviews | Professionalism

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 Sean | May 11, 2024 | Hired Attorney | Landlord & Tenant

Outstanding Tenancy Dispute Representation

Exceptional legal counsel from start to finish. Joan was incredibly responsive, providing clear and informative guidance throughout our tenancy dispute case. Her detailed knowledge of the RLTO put us at ease, giving us full confidence that we had a strong case. Joan's swift communication and decisive... actions allowed us to successfully break our lease and recover all of our money from an uncooperative landlord. We were impressed by her professionalism and advocacy on our behalf. If you need a tenacious attorney to protect your rights as a tenant, Joan is the one to hire. Can't recommend her enough!

Posted by Sergei | June 19, 2023 | Hired Attorney | Landlord & Tenant

Exceptional Legal Support

I can't recommend Joan highly enough. In dealing with a dispute with my former landlord, Joan provided exceptional legal representation. Her knowledge of the law, combined with her professional, methodical approach, resulted in a favorable outcome for me. Throughout the entire process, Joan was al...ways available to answer my questions and kept me well-informed about the case's progress. If you are looking for an attorney who will tirelessly advocate for your rights and provide top-notch legal advice, look no further than Joan Fenstermaker. I am truly grateful for her support and would not hesitate to seek her services again in the future.

Posted by anonymous | April 24, 2023 | Hired Attorney | Landlord & Tenant

Landlord /Tenant Issue: Security Deposit

Joan, executed her agreed upon tasks with professionality and dispatch. Her knowledge of the matter in dispute was excellent. We avoided going to court and she negotiated a settlement which was satisfactory to us. We would without hesitation engage her again in Chicago Tenant Landlord disputes. ...

Posted by anonymous | April 01, 2022 | Hired Attorney | Landlord & Tenant

Amazing Attorney for Tenants

Joan was fantastic from the first email all the way through to the conclusion for my issue with my prior landlord. She was knowledgeable, approachable, great communicator (provide updates regularly), and easy to get ahold of. I would not have been able to get to the result without Joan and her team...'s assistance.

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