Chicago Real Estate Attorney: Closings, Evictions, Contract Review & More

Real Estate Closings & Buyer/Seller Representation

What We Handle

We represent buyers and sellers from attorney review through closing. That means contract modifications during the 5-business-day attorney review window, title examination to surface liens and encumbrances before you own them, preparation of deeds and affidavits and transfer declarations and proration agreements, and attendance at closing, whether in person or remote. It's usually remote these days.

Don't DIY In Illinois

In most states, a real estate agent handles the entire transaction. Illinois is different because the courts have drawn a hard line between what agents can do and what requires an attorney.

The Illinois Supreme Court held in 1st Federal Savings v. Sadnick (1987) that even completing blank form fields on a real estate contract constitutes the practice of law. In Curielli v. Quinn (2015), the court confirmed that brokers cannot "create contracts for buying and selling, prepare deeds...or handle the final steps of a sale." Your agent can negotiate the deal and fill in the Multi-Board offer. Everything after that, from contract modifications to inspection responses to title objection letters to closing documents, requires an attorney. There is no workaround. Your trusted agent, who probably does know the right way to do everything, just can't do it. While that's great job security for me, it usually does mean some added costs to the transaction.

Flat-Fee Pricing

Our buy-side closing representation is a flat fee of $500, plus $150 per unit for multi-unit properties. That covers attorney review through closing: contract modifications, title examination, document preparation, and closing attendance. No hourly billing, no surprise invoices at the table. Remote closings are available statewide through our client portal and digital document execution.

Our sell-side closing representation, for residential property in regular transactions, is simply free. $0. We've never charged on a regular residential transaction, never will. We get paid enough by writing your title insurance. I even cover the costs of getting you a remote notary, so you wouldn't have to get off your couch to complete a transaction.

"Mr. Abdilla was better than I could have asked for. Made my life easy and took care of business exactly as he said."

Katrina K., Google Review

Multi-Board 8.0 Contract Review

The Multi-Board Residential Real Estate Contract is the standard purchase agreement for residential transactions across Chicagoland. Version 8.0, released February 2025, is the most significant update in years, largely because the NAR settlement rewrote the rules on how buyer's agents get paid. But, there's lots of other goodies in there like solar panels and fixing the as-is loophole too.

What Changed in 8.0

The headline change is Paragraph 4, a brand-new section on buyer brokerage compensation. Under the old rules, the seller's listing agreement typically covered both agents' commissions. Now buyer brokerage compensation must be addressed in the purchase contract itself. This is about twenty years overdue if you ask me.

Beyond that, 8.0 introduced a non-counteroffer proposal mechanism in Paragraph 13(d) that lets attorneys make proposals without killing the deal if they're rejected. The fixtures checklist now covers EV chargers, video doorbells, smart thermostats, and surveillance systems. And the three-tier financing structure (contingency, cash-no-financing, cash-financing-allowed) is more clearly separated. Finally, the inspection provisions changed to a similar three-tier option of "accept/reject," "inspect, but only major systems," and "full inspection with requests."

Why Attorney Contract Review Matters

The attorney modification letter is the single most important document in a residential deal. Within five business days, we review every provision of the 38-paragraph contract, identify risks, and draft modifications tailored to your side of the transaction.

What we catch that agents can't: financing contingency deadlines that don't align with current lender processing times, inspection alternatives where the wrong checkbox forfeits your termination rights, proration methodologies that short-change you by thousands, and earnest money structures that leave your deposit exposed if the deal falls apart.

One example from 8.0 that catches people off guard: under the new Paragraph 15(c), if a buyer requests repair credits and the seller refuses, the seller may terminate the contract and retain the earnest money. Last year I probably had this come up 20 times! The market can be slow to change its force of habit.

Our Multi-Board 7.0 guide has been read by thousands of Illinois buyers and sellers since we published it. At one point, 1000 people a month were downloading it. The 8.0 guide covers every paragraph of the new contract in the same level of detail.

Eviction Services

We handle landlord evictions across Chicagoland, from 5-Day Notices through trial and post-judgment enforcement. Every eviction is a flat fee with no hourly billing.

"Justin evicted a tenant of mine in record time. It's unheard of and I just did not think it was possible to get this tenant out so fast."

William G., Real Estate Investor

Pricing by Jurisdiction

Court filing fees ($300-$389) are additional. Partial refund if the case settles early.

Why Hire an Eviction Attorney

One procedural mistake resets your clock to zero. Wrong notice type, bad service, missed deadline, and you're looking at an extra 30-60 days on top of whatever you've already lost.

Illinois has specific notice requirements under 735 ILCS 5/9-209 that vary by county and situation. Chicago adds the RLTO on top of that, with additional notice formats and tenant protections that don't apply in the suburbs. If you serve a Chicago eviction using a suburban notice form, you are starting the entire process over from scratch.

We handle evictions at volume, with dozens of active cases at any given time across Cook, DuPage, and Kane counties. We know the judges, we know the clerks, and we know which procedural shortcuts will actually backfire. Our flat fee is less than one month's rent for most landlords.

"Justin was highly recommended to us and we're very pleased with his services. He's an amazing attorney, very knowledgeable of landlords rights."

Bert W., Chicago Landlord

Subject-To & Creative Real Estate

Most real estate attorneys handle standard buyer-seller closings. We also represent investors in deal structures that traditional attorneys won't touch because they don't understand them. We are one of a very few lawyers who do installment sales purchase agreements for residential real estate (land trusts).

What We Handle

Subject-to acquisitions let a buyer take title to a property while the seller's existing mortgage stays in place, without a formal assumption. The structure is legal, but the documentation has to account for due-on-sale clause risk, SAFE Act compliance, and insurance continuity.

Wrap mortgages layer seller financing on top of an existing mortgage that remains in place. Illinois-specific drafting considerations apply, particularly around usury and the Mortgage Licensing Act.

Wholesaling in Illinois changed significantly when the legislature tightened the Real Estate License Act. We advise investors on the line between a legal assignment and an unlicensed brokerage transaction, which is not as clear as most wholesaling gurus would have you believe.

1031 exchanges require precise legal coordination between the exchange accommodator, title company, and closing attorney. Miss the 45-day identification window or the 180-day exchange period and the entire tax deferral fails.

Why This Requires a Unique Set of Skills

Ask a typical closing attorney about a subject-to acquisition with a wraparound mortgage and a simultaneous 1031 exchange and you'll get a blank stare. Or, they'll just tell you "don't do it." These structures require an attorney who understands the documentation requirements, the regulatory framework, and the specific risks involved. We've handled these transactions for years while other attorneys referred them out because they didn't have the background. I think every one of these I've ever done actually came from another attorney who knew I could do them, or from a former client who needed me to explain it to someone else.

Zoning & Land Use

Zoning law touches more real estate transactions than most people realize. If you're converting a two-flat, adding a unit to an investment property, or buying a commercial building for a use the current zoning doesn't allow, you need a zoning attorney before you need a contractor.

Services

Zoning due diligence is something we recommend before any investment purchase. We verify the property's zoning classification, confirm permitted uses, and check for non-conforming status or pending code enforcement actions. You'll get a memo from me about its status and what we think you could do to change it. The cost is usually about $1,000.

Variance applications come into play when strict application of the zoning code creates an unnecessary hardship unique to a specific property. We prepare and present variance applications to the Zoning Board of Appeals, applying the multi-factor test from La Salle National Bank v. City of Chicago. These are also extremely useful if you have a pending citation.

Special use permits are required when a zoning ordinance identifies a use as potentially compatible with a district but subject to individualized review. Religious institutions in residential zones, day care centers, and bed-and-breakfasts are classic examples. Senior living facilities come up more and more these days, but can be a much more intensive process to handle.

Chicago Planned Developments are a separate process entirely. Projects exceeding PD thresholds under CZO section 17-8-0100 require Part I legislative approval through the Plan Commission and City Council, followed by Part II building permit compliance review. We handle both phases.

Non-conforming use protection applies when a property's current use predates the zoning ordinance that would otherwise prohibit it. These grandfathered uses have legal protections, but they can be lost through abandonment or unauthorized expansion.

Chicago vs. Suburban

Chicago is a home rule municipality with its own comprehensive zoning ordinance under Title 17 of the Municipal Code, its own Plan Commission, its own ZBA, a certificate of zoning compliance process, and a Planned Development process that exists nowhere else in Illinois.

Suburban municipalities operate under the Illinois Zoning Enabling Act (65 ILCS 5/11-13-1), but each one has adopted its own zoning code with its own classifications, setbacks, density limits, and hearing procedures. Cook County has a separate code for unincorporated areas. DuPage, Kane, and Will counties each maintain their own. A variance application in Naperville is a completely different process from one in Chicago.

We handle zoning across all of these jurisdictions. Contact us for zoning consultations.

FSBO: Sell Your Home Without a Realtor

Selling without a realtor saves you 5-6% in commission. On a $400,000 home, that's $20,000-$24,000 you keep instead of paying an agent. Our flat fee handles the legal work so the transaction still has professional oversight where it matters.

What We Handle for FSBO Sellers

We draft the purchase contract and handle all negotiations with the buyer's attorney. We ensure compliance with Illinois disclosure requirements, including the Residential Real Property Disclosure, lead paint disclosures, and radon testing obligations. We examine title, clear any defects, prepare closing documents, manage the earnest money through escrow, handle post-inspection negotiations and repair credit structuring, and attend closing on your behalf. You've still got to find the buyer.

Local FSBO Guides

We've published FSBO guides for 55+ Chicagoland communities, including Naperville, Wheaton, Lisle, Arlington Heights, Tinley Park, and many more.

Short Sales & Foreclosure Defense

If you're underwater on your mortgage or facing foreclosure, you have more options than your lender's loss mitigation department will volunteer.

Short Sales

A short sale lets you sell the property for less than you owe, with the lender accepting the reduced payoff instead of pursuing foreclosure. The credit impact is significantly less severe than a foreclosure, the recovery timeline is shorter, and in many cases the lender will waive the deficiency balance entirely.

We handle the complete lender negotiation: preparing the short sale package, submitting the application, negotiating approval terms, and closing the transaction. Every servicer has different requirements and processing timelines, which is why we've published lender-specific guides for Truist and Carrington.

Foreclosure Defense

Illinois foreclosure is a judicial process under 735 ILCS 5/15-1101, meaning it goes through the courts and follows a structured timeline. The typical Illinois foreclosure takes 12-18 months from filing to sale, and that entire window is time your attorney can use to pursue alternatives. We file loss mitigation applications for loan modifications, forbearance agreements, and repayment plans while the case proceeds. When the numbers don't support keeping the property, we negotiate short sales or deeds in lieu of foreclosure to minimize the damage.

LLC Formation & Investor Services

If you own rental property in your personal name, your personal assets are one slip-and-fall lawsuit away from exposure. We form LLCs for landlords and investors and handle the legal infrastructure of your entire portfolio.

Services

LLC formation includes drafting the operating agreement, obtaining the EIN, designating a registered agent, and filing with the Illinois Secretary of State. We structure the entity to match your investment strategy, whether that's a single-member LLC per property or a holding company structure.

Rental mortgages for LLCs are harder to get than conventional loans because not every lender finances LLC-held property. We know which ones do and how to structure the application so the entity ownership doesn't kill the deal.

Due diligence for investment property goes beyond a standard title search. We investigate title, liens, zoning compliance, code violations, tenant lease status, and the financial performance of the property before you commit.

Cap rate analysis is something most attorneys can't do because they don't think in investor terms. We run the numbers on acquisition targets so you know whether a deal pencils before you sign a contract.

Portfolio legal management covers everything that comes after the purchase: lease review and drafting, tenant disputes, entity restructuring as your portfolio grows, and evictions when a tenancy goes bad.

Why Investors Need a Dedicated Attorney

A general practice attorney doesn't know what a cap rate is. A closing attorney doesn't understand subject-to financing. A corporate attorney doesn't handle evictions. We do all of it: formation, acquisition, management, and enforcement, under one roof and at flat-fee pricing for each stage.

"Very humane and landlord empathetic eviction lawyer! His answers are clear and concise."

SeyitBek U., Property Owner

Wage Garnishment & Judgment Collection

Winning an eviction judgment and actually collecting the money owed are two separate legal processes, and most landlords don't realize that until they're holding a piece of paper that says their former tenant owes $8,000 with no way to collect it.

We enforce money judgments through wage deduction orders, bank account levies, and citations to discover assets. If your former tenant is working, we garnish their wages. If they have bank accounts, we levy them. If we need to find out what assets they have, we conduct citation proceedings to force disclosure. Flat fee, same as everything else we do.

Why Choose The Chicagoland Lawyer