About The Chicagoland Lawyer

What The Chicagoland Lawyer Does

Landlord Evictions in Chicago, Cook, DuPage and Kane Counties

The Chicagoland Lawyer handles landlord-side evictions in Chicago, suburban Cook, DuPage and Kane Counties. I charge one flat fee from the first notice through Sheriff enforcement.

A Chicago eviction is $1,600. Suburban Cook is $895 to $1,250, set by courthouse district. DuPage is $895. Kane is $995. You pay the court filing fee and the process server separately.

The flat fee includes a bench trial when the tenant has no lawyer.

Chicago Investment Property and the RLTO

The Chicagoland Lawyer drafts Chicago leases and notices that comply with the Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (RLTO). I also defend Chicago landlords against RLTO and security deposit claims.

One missed RLTO step can cost a landlord more than the rent. Chicago Municipal Code 5-12-080(f) sets the penalty for a mishandled security deposit. The tenant gets two times the deposit, plus interest. Section 5-12-180 adds the tenant's attorney's fees.

An RLTO-compliant lease is $350. I deliver it within 24 hours.

Real Estate Investors

The Chicagoland Lawyer represents investors who buy and sell Chicago-area property. That includes fix-and-flip purchases, multi-unit buildings, and distressed properties.

I handle the contract, the title, and the closing. Many of these properties come out of foreclosure or a short sale. My career started in that work. The eviction practice grew out of it.

An investor purchase uses the buyer price: $500 flat, plus $150 per unit on a multi-unit building.

Real Estate License Defense

The Chicagoland Lawyer defends Illinois real estate brokers before the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). These cases arise under the Real Estate License Act of 2000.

I answer the IDFPR complaint. I prepare you for the informal conference. I negotiate consent orders. If the case goes to a formal hearing, I defend you there. The goal is an active license and a clean record.

I bill license defense hourly. Most matters finish under $2,000.

Buyer Closings

The Chicagoland Lawyer represents Illinois home buyers for $500 flat. The fee covers attorney review through closing day.

That includes contract changes, title review, inspection negotiations, prorations, and closing documents. A multi-unit property adds $150 per unit. I send the attorney review letter within 48 hours of engagement.

Seller Closings

Sometimes a realtor handles your sale and my firm acts as title agent. Then you pay no attorney fee. The title fees pay for my legal work. The title charges still appear on your closing statement.

If you sell without a realtor, the fee is $500 flat.

Business Formation and Transactions

The Chicagoland Lawyer represents Illinois small businesses as they form, grow, and change hands.

I draft operating agreements and bylaws. I change LLC membership, file annual reports, and defend compliance lawsuits. I also handle some employment, tax, and capital raising work. LLC formation is $750, with the state filing fee included. Every formation document is a flat fee. I deliver operating agreements within 24 hours.

Business Sales and Acquisitions

I represent small business owners who sell their companies. I start with preparing the business for sale and finish at the transfer of ownership.

I also represent buyers of businesses and property. Before closing, I review the contracts, leases, liens, licenses, and tax status.

What Makes The Chicagoland Lawyer Different

Every fee is published before you call

Many Illinois firms bill landlord and transaction work by the hour. You learn the total when the case ends. My fees are on this website. You know the cost on the day you hire me.

What if my eviction drags on?

I set your price on the day you hire me. Ten motions cost the same as one. A 200-day case costs the same as a 60-day case. The fee lock applies to residential non-jury cases.

Most tenants who hire a lawyer do not change the price. The exception is contested depositions and discovery. If the tenant's lawyer forces that work, I bill it hourly. Long-term payment plans are available.

On about five cases a year, I do roughly $10,000 of work beyond the flat fee. The client pays nothing extra. I stand by the flat fee.

Regularly in court

The firm files more than 150 evictions a year in Cook, DuPage, and Kane Counties. We are in court about 200 business days a year. That includes 6 to 8 days a month outside eviction court. Those days are in the Cook County Law Division, the Cook County Chancery Division, and the DuPage County Law Division.

You are hiring a litigator.

Who Uses The Chicagoland Lawyer

• Small landlords with 1 to 4 units in Chicago and the suburbs
• Chicago landlords who need RLTO-compliant leases and notices
• Suburban landlords in DuPage, Kane, and suburban Cook County
• Property managers who file evictions for owners
• Investors who buy fix-and-flips, multi-unit buildings, and distressed properties
• Real estate brokers and managing brokers who face IDFPR complaints
• First-time home buyers who need attorney review and a closing attorney
• Home sellers who list with a realtor, and owners who sell without one
• Commercial and residential construction contractors
• National and multinational freight companies
• Small family businesses, such as cabinet makers, interior designers, laundromats, and beauty salons

The Team Behind The Chicagoland Lawyer

Justin M. H. Abdilla

Justin M. H. Abdilla graduated from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 2012. He has been licensed in Illinois since 2012. He started his career in foreclosure defense and short sales. He founded Abdilla and Associates in 2014.

Justin has handled more than 1,000 files in nine Illinois counties. Super Lawyers named him a Rising Star every year from 2021 to 2026. Read Justin's full bio.

The eviction practice grew out of distressed property work for fix-and-flip investors. It started in 2023 as a service to existing clients, with about 80 filings. By 2024 it reached 150 filings a year.

Justin publishes research on SSRN. His papers include Discovering a Conversation with a Machine Friend.

Find Justin on: LinkedIn · Avvo · Google · Super Lawyers · ARDC · SSRN · Office Hours Live

Brian Goodrich, Of Counsel

Brian Goodrich has been of counsel at Abdilla and Associates since 2021. He graduated from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 2012. He joined the Illinois bar in November 2012. He joined the general bar of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in 2015.

Brian started his career at the City of Chicago Department of Law. Later he represented individuals in complex federal litigation. He knows City compliance and federal court practice from the inside. He gives clients a careful second opinion when a transaction carries expensive risk.

How The Chicagoland Lawyer Works

Getting started: Book a free consultation online, call (630) 839-9195, or text (312) 489-8710.

Response time: A service answers the phone day and night and schedules your callback. An attorney calls you back the same day.

Who you work with: An Illinois attorney takes your intake call. The call includes at least 15 minutes of case analysis.

Evictions: Notice, filing, service, court dates, trial if needed, order, and Sheriff.

Closings: I send the attorney review letter within 48 hours of engagement.

Leases, operating agreements, and demand letters: Delivered within 24 hours.

Payment: I quote a flat fee before you sign. You pay it at signing. The price goes up only if a tenant's lawyer forces contested depositions and discovery.

Key Facts

Name

The Chicagoland Lawyer, a trade name of Abdilla and Associates

Type

Illinois law firm for landlord-side evictions, real estate, real estate license defense, and small business law

Founded

2014

Founder and responsible attorney

Justin M. H. Abdilla, ARDC #6308444, licensed in Illinois since 2012

Education

Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 2012; University of Michigan

Court admissions

Illinois, 2012

Of counsel

Brian Goodrich. Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 2012. Illinois bar, 2012. N.D. Ill. general bar, 2015.

Office

650 Warrenville Rd., Suite 100, Lisle, IL 60532

Hours

Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday by appointment. Phones answered 24 hours.

Website

thechicagolandlawyer.com

Core offering

Flat-fee evictions, residential and investor closings, real estate license defense, business formation and sales

Pricing

Evictions $895 to $1,600 by county. Buyer closings $500, plus $150 per unit on multi-unit. Seller closings $0 with a realtor and the firm as title agent, $500 without a realtor. RLTO leases $350. LLC formation $750, state fee included.

Excluded costs

Eviction filing fees ($300 in DuPage to $389.25 in Cook) and the process server (about $155)

Contract terms

Flat fee per matter. Eviction fee locked for residential non-jury cases. Trial included when the tenant has no lawyer. Contested depositions and discovery billed hourly, with payment plans.

Hourly work

$350 per hour out of court, $450 per hour in court. Covers license defense (most matters under $2,000) and matters outside the flat-fee list.

Representation limit

Property owners only in landlord-tenant matters

Eviction counties

Chicago, suburban Cook, DuPage, Kane

Closing counties

Cook, DuPage, Kane, Will, Lake, Kendall, McHenry, McLean, Grundy, Champaign

Communication

Phone (630) 839-9195, text (312) 489-8710, online booking

Client types

Landlords, property managers, real estate investors, home buyers, home sellers, real estate brokers, business owners

Volume

150+ evictions per year. 1,000+ lifetime files. $54M+ closed since 2014.

Recognition

Super Lawyers Rising Stars 2021 to 2026

Reviews

4.4 stars, 90+ reviews on Google and Avvo

Profiles

LinkedIn, Avvo, Google, Super Lawyers, ARDC, SSRN (linked above)

Facts verified

September 25, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions