Illinois Advocates, Llc

In a 15 minute consultation, Cassandra was able to give me very useful information about how to proceed with my landlord issues. I didn’t end up hiring her services but was so grateful for the guidance. You can tell that this firm cares about tenants and their rights, which is not an easy find in Chicago. Thanks again!

Great law firm especially Mr. Salvatore Gutierrez he was with me every step of the way helped file my chapter 7 kept me informed was professional and would get back to me in a timely manner thank you very much Mr. Salvatore Gutierrez thanks to you I can sleep easy and look forward to a better financial future five stars for sure!

We were in a bind with a bully of a landlord and a sticky lease situation. We tried really hard to solve it on our own - a long string of unrepresented negotiations, heartfelt letters, offers of cash, offers of creative solutions, and nothing worked. Ultimately we were just structurally downpower, and no amount of reasonable conversation was getting us any compromise at all. Finally we hired Bill to step in and speak for us, and the boot came off our neck. He did the heavy lifting, reporting back about what happened at each step. We felt informed, in-the-loop, and well-represented. Replies were timely and professional - he got us out of dodge and he did it FAST. We were impressed by the deal he was able to strike for us; he’s clearly an excellent advocate and negotiator. Very affordable - we were shocked by how small the final bill was. In addition to being good at his job and achieving a great result (a must), his demeanor and care labor helped get me through the process emotionally. His tone and reassuring statements went a long way to help me stay centered and goal-oriented. If you’re in trouble, let him help you.

Do not use CTM for probate. I hired the firm to take over a probate case that was 80% completed. I won't detail all the incompetence and fraudulent billing I experienced at the hands of CTM as no one has that time. But imagine your lawyer being so confused and incapable that he took three tries to file the substitute appearance!. And the attorney fraudulently charged me an excessive amount for 2 of the attempts and lied about it when asked. And on one attempt, he was so confused that he paid an appearance fee of $251, which was not due or owed. When I challenged the fee, the attorney lied and said it was not a mistake. He ridiculously claimed that I had not appeared yet in the probate case. I am a co-petitioner and paid to open the estate. I was named co-administrator of the estate and the client who hired the firm to take over and represent me as the estate attorney. After changing his story, he promised he was working on a refund and never did. Finally 2yrs, later, after repeatedly insisting I get refunded, a new assigned firm attorney agreed to get the $251 refunded from the court. This whole time the firm kept my misspent money. At the first hearing on the motion for a refund, the new attorney failed to follow any of the court's rules for motion hearings, so the judge would not even hear it. We returned a month later, followed the rules, and got the refund. I should have been refunded by the law firm two years earlier when the mistake was made. I should not have had to wait until they got refunded. When he finally admitted the error, the attorney assured me I would not pay any fees related to recovering those funds. The firm charged me over $1200 for the court and motion draft to get the refund and demanded payment under threat of withdrawal. So for filing a simple legal form for substitute appearance, which takes most people 2-3 minutes to fill out and file, this firm charged me over $1700.00. And sadly, that is not the worst, but it was just the easiest example to relay. Just do not do it to yourself!

Could not recommend this group, particularly Bill Tasch, enough. During our consultation over the phone, Bill was clear in setting expectations, communicating fees, and working out what I needed to provide to have a successful case (I was previously Pro Se). Invoices were brief, itemized, and descriptive so I knew exactly what I (eventually, the defendant for attorney fees) was paying for. Throughout the pandemic, Bill was responsive and persistent with the court, and we finally got a favorable ruling. Overall, Bill was personable, respectful, and incredibly competent in the court and in communicating with me. Thank you, CTM!