Answers

How much does a real estate attorney cost in Illinois?

By Adam Lysinski, Attorney · Updated May 9, 2026

Adam Lysinski charges $650 flat for most residential closings — one price, no range, no surprises. The fee covers attorney work from contract review through recorded deed.

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Short answer

Adam Lysinski charges $650 flat for most residential closings — one price, no range, no surprises. The fee covers attorney work from contract review through recorded deed.

The full picture

Illinois residential real-estate attorney fees follow a relatively narrow flat-fee band. Adam Lysinski charges $650 flat (Verified) for most residential closings — within the typical Chicago flat-fee band that practitioners commonly cite as ranging $500 to $1,000.

The flat fee structure covers a defined scope: contract review during the Illinois 5-business-day attorney-review window, title commitment review, tax-proration calculation (the seller’s attorney calculates and proposes; the buyer’s attorney reviews and may counter-propose), deed preparation or review, closing-statement audit, and representation at the closing table. Polish-language representation is included on request.

Items not covered by the attorney fee are not attorney work. Title insurance premium is paid to the title company. Transfer-tax stamps (Illinois state, Cook County, Chicago city, and DuPage/Lake/Will municipal where applicable) are statutory taxes paid at closing. Recording fees are paid to the County Recorder. Inspection fees are paid to the inspector. Survey costs are paid to the surveyor. None of these are attorney fees.

When a transaction has unusual features — FIRPTA withholding for a non-US seller, a short-sale lender approval process, an REO transaction, a contested attorney-review escalation that requires multiple drafted modifications, an inspection-related deal-breaking dispute that requires extended negotiation — the additional scope is identified at intake and quoted in writing before any work begins. Adam never bills a surprise fee.

Related questions

How much does a real estate attorney cost in Illinois?
Illinois real-estate attorney fees for residential closings typically range from $500 to $1,000 flat fee. Adam Lysinski charges $650 flat for most residential closings, covering attorney work from contract review through recorded deed. Commercial transactions, multi-unit acquisitions, and investment portfolios are scoped at intake — typically billed hourly or at a flat fee agreed before work begins.
What does the $650 flat fee include?
The $650 flat fee includes contract review during attorney modification, title commitment review, tax prorations (calculated by the seller's attorney; reviewed by the buyer's), deed preparation or review, closing-statement audit, and representation at closing. Polish-language representation is included on request. Title insurance, transfer-tax stamps, recording fees, survey costs, and inspection fees are scoped separately because they are not attorney-fee items.
Are there additional attorney fees outside the flat fee?
For standard residential closings, no. The flat fee covers the attorney's work. Items not included are not attorney work — they are third-party costs (title insurance, transfer-tax stamps, recording fees, survey, inspection). Complex situations (FIRPTA-withholding for non-US sellers, short sales, REO purchases, contested attorney-review escalations) are flagged at intake and quoted before any additional work begins.
How does Illinois compare to other states on attorney fees?
Illinois is one of the states where attorney representation in residential closings is standard practice. Some states use only title companies; Illinois uses both. The attorney's role in Illinois — particularly during the 5-business-day attorney-review window — is structurally different from a title company's role and not duplicative.

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