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 132 reviews

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 Jasmine | March 16, 2026 | Hired Attorney | Landlord & Tenant

Outstanding Representation and Excellent Results

I had an excellent experience working with Attorney Fenstermaker. She represented me in a dispute with my former landlord regarding my security deposit, and thanks to her expertise and persistence, the matter was successfully resolved. From the beginning, Attorney Fenstermaker was professional, kn...owledgeable, and extremely responsive. She took the time to clearly explain the legal process, answered my questions, and made sure I understood my options at every stage. What I appreciated most was how seriously she took my case and how committed she was to helping me obtain a fair outcome. Her attention to detail and ability to advocate effectively made a stressful situation much easier to navigate. I truly felt supported throughout the entire process. I am very grateful for Attorney Fenstermaker’s help and would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a skilled, dedicated, and trustworthy attorney.

Posted by Anna | January 30, 2026 | Hired Attorney | Landlord & Tenant

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 | December 02, 2025 | Hired Attorney | Landlord & Tenant

Thank you Joan!

Joan was great and helped me and my family to get our entire deposit back from our previous landlord. A phenomenal negotiator and kept me well informed through the process as this was my first time going through this. Would highly recommend Joan again & again.

Posted by Taylor | October 07, 2025 | Hired Attorney | Landlord & Tenant

Thank goodness for Joan

Joan helped us get out of a terrible lease and experience with a landlord and ultimately helped lead a class action lawsuit. 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

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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
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