This attorney gave exceptional representation and their efforts will forever be appreciated!!!!! An attorney that goes above and beyond, advocating with a dedication and knowledge of the law that gave us peace of mind. What impressed me most was their willingness to take on the tougher side of the case, demonstrating their commitment to justice and fairness. Throughout the process, Mark was upfront, honest and transparent, keeping us informed every step of the way. Their responsiveness was remarkable, always available to answer questions and address concerns. When I was sick with worry, a call and response from them made the difference between enjoying my daily life and vacationing time!! Their expertise, made a daunting experience manageable. I felt seen, heard, and supported throughout the entire process. Don't mistake the tone of voice for impolite behavior. Marks speaks honestly, and gives strategies, with true consideration to time, cost and outcome. I highly recommend Mark to anyone seeking exceptional legal representation. read more

This attorney Mark Silverman has a very nasty attitude and he's very prejudice and mean towards African Americans and I was trying to explain my case to him over the phone about my old landlord had me and my son living in very bad deplorable conditions and it was unclean and unsafe to live in and this lawyer was trying to talk over me and he was being very rude and mean and wouldn't even let me explain my case to him at all. He thinks he's better then somebody I guess the money went to his head. Not friendly or humble at all very cruel and mean.I hung up the phone because I'm not finna argue with nobody at all and he has a very argumental spirit. He doesn't need to be a lawyer read more

This law firm handled a class action law suit for the building I live in . They are horrible with communication and don't like to answer questions, and or are completely vague until they get annoyed with you then they get short and disrespectful. They shared very little about the case that I was a part of and then when I questioned things became completely rude and disrespectful. NEVER Again I will engage this firm again, and as they only deal in Security DEPOSIT law only, don't think I will have have too. If there could be a negative stars for communication I would give them 5 NEGATIVE STARS. read more

Mark assisted me with a challenging situation with a landlord in Dupage County. Dupage does tend to be very pro-landlord, and several attorneys declined the case. Mark was cost effective, efficient, and helped us resolve the issue quickly. I highly recommend his firm. read more

We engaged Mark this winter following a dispute with our landlord for his advisory and help in resolving the matter. Not only were we able to reach a satisfactory resolution without going to court, but Mark provided highly valuable advice on the matter and gave us a recommendation on our path forward that focused on our best interests. He is a very honest and ethical attorney - the other potential options if pursued would have had Mark continuing to be able to bill us more, whereas his recommendation was the option in which he would not have any more work to bill for. In our conversations with him, we could tell he is clearly an expert in Chicago tenant law, and truly works in the best interests of his clients. I would highly recommend anyone dealing with Chicago tenant law issues work with Mark. read more

I hired Mark to help me understand my rights as a tenant to sublet or terminate my lease during a contentious situation with my landlord. Mark is such a calming presence in what can be a stressful situation, and with him on my side, I felt totally confident I was working with the A+ team. He is professional, direct and matter-of-fact, and highly responsive. I called several other law firms to help me and he was one of only two who responded. His fees are also fair and straight forward. I would 100% recommend hiring Mark for any tenant matter you have in the city of Chicago - he is the absolute best! read more

Mark spent the time discussing my case patiently covering all the details, options, and strategies. Very attentive and down-to-earth. Highly recommended. read more

Mark strategically and successfully helped me terminate my lease early. I'm very happy with the outcome. During the process, Mark was patient and explained his logic and process thoroughly. He was also very responsive. I recall sending him emails on Christmas eve and got a response shortly after. Highly recommend for anyone who has lease issues. read more

Mark helped me get out of a lease with a rental building in downtown Chicago. I would highly recommend him. He's responsive, sharp, and knows your rights as a Chicago tenant. He thought of a creative solution for my particular scenario that I was unable to foresee being an effective strategy. read more

This law firm helped my wife and I file for her permanent residency. Very communicative and the price was the best.

Mark is a great attorney. His fees are reasonable compared to other attorneys that I contacted. When I spoke with him over the phone, he explained his thought process clearly and advised me of the different options going forward. He is also responsive to emails, such that I always felt informed. Ultimately, Mark was able to help me resolve my issue in the best way possible. I highly recommend him. On his website, he lists a number of cases that he's litigated in the past, so that gives you an idea of how experience and knowledgeable he is. read more

Mark was very responsive and helpful in handling our dispute with our landlord. I cannot recommend him enough for any landlord tenant disputes. read more

My old landlord (who is also an attorney) only refunded half of my security deposit, and was attempting to keep the remaining $1000 for ridiculous claims that are considered normal wear & tear after living somewhere for 2+ years. I reached out to Mark and sent him all of the pertinent documents (copy of lease, summary of charges, email exchanges between landlord, etc.). He provided a free consultation and it was very apparent that he was an expert in this area, as he immediately pointed out several laws that my landlord had clearly violated under CRLTO. He was prompt with all of his responses, professional, and very knowledgeable. Long story short, I decided to wait out the full 45 days to see if my landlord would finally refund the deposit without having to go through the burden of hiring an attorney, going to court, etc. After having about 50 back and forth email exchanges with my old landlord, she finally sent the check on the 46th day; therefore I didn't have to proceed with legal actions. Although I didn't officially hire Mark, I would not have successfully been able to obtain the remaining deposit refund from my landlord with confidence. He went above and beyond what should be included in a free consultation by answering all of my questions, and putting me at ease with the fact that I should get my money back in due time. It's very apparent that he's a good person that genuinely wants to help tenants whom unfortunately find themselves in similar situations as myself. read more

Mark Silverman gives lawyers a great name. He knows the law, is on top of things, returns emails swiftly, is clear, concise, highly professional and above all an ethical good-guy who seems to genuinely care about helping people. During my many years as a renter, he helped me break a lease, successfully handled a complicated law-suit against the sleazy management company I rented from and gave sound advice to a positive result when I was getting the run-around from the final shady landlord I rented from. I cannot recommend Mark enough. When you are in the midst of a living situation gone wrong or are getting the run-around from a dishonest landlord, it can feel like you are totally alone or powerless. Mark Silverman will not only do a fantastic job, but you will have someone honest and direct by your side. read more

I hired Mark last year to help me with a situation where I needed to get a security deposit returned to me. It took a few months for it to all work out, which wasn't Mark's fault. But that is what you should probably expect if you're in a similar situation. I never actually met Mark in person--we did all of our coordinating over email, which amounted to sending scanned documents and PDFs back and forth. He was really easy to work with. He responded quickly to everything, was very concise and to the point in his communications. After a couple of plot twists and turns, we settled with the landlord, and I received my security deposit, plus the value of the retainer I had paid to Mark. I wasn't really interested in trying to make money off the process--just glad I got back what was rightfully mine and didn't lose any money in the meantime. It was nice to have Mark Silverman on my side to advocate for me, and I would recommend him to anyone. As a side note: another reviewer said that you don't have to pay lawyer fees if you don't get your deposit back, and that is not entirely true. You pay a retainer at the beginning when you hire him, and you don't get reimbursed for that unless you can get your landlord to agree to pay you for it (plus your deposit). I think what the previous reviewer meant is that you don't pay additional legal fees if you don't get the deposit back. read more

Mark was great! My boyfriend and I retained him in May 2017, as we were rear ended on the I94. Our car was totaled and we were badly injured. On a family member's recommendation, we took a chance and contacted Mark for help with the process. After the whole ordeal, the last thing we wanted to do was deal with insurance companies. Marc was very informative, readily available, and very responsive in answering ALL of my questions, and believe me, I had a ton since this was my first time dealing with a situation of this nature. He explained everything to us, got us a great settlement, and was even able to negotiate our hospital bills down! Long story short, if you are in a jam- Mark is your guy! read more

Don't ever let your shady landlord try to take advantage of you ever again!! Ever!! If your landlord tries to keep some or all of your security deposit unfairly, go to Mark Silverman. Because of him, I got more than double the amount of my security deposit back even after paying his attorney fees. I barely had to do anything! We also didn't go to court. I didn't even have to meet with him in person, we got everything done via email. The first lawyer I contacted turned me down because my case was slightly complicated (I had roommates) and also the amount of my deposit was too low to interest him. Then I talked to Mark who was very confident in my case and willing to help me out. Also, you don't have to pay Lawyer fees unless you get your deposit back. Best part of all is my evil landlord didn't get away with breaking the rules! And I feel good that she might think twice before trying to pull the same thing with her future tenants! read more

We were able to settle out of court. We got every penny owed to us and the awful landlord who will go unmentioned (but be wary of realtors from Park Ridge) had to pay almost double what he initially owed. That, and the fact that he kinda looks like Adrien Brody made for an entertaining morning. read more

Mark Silverman is the bomb. This guy makes breaking even the most ridiculous of leases incredibly easy. He does everything for you, and was extremely pleasant. I am not always the easiest client to deal with, and he did a PHENOMENAL job. For a flat fee I was out of my awful apartment. I will be using Mark again to attempt to get my security deposit back, as I have received nothing. I would highly recommend his services to anyone. read more

I give Mark 5 stars for 5 reasons. 1. Free consultation - this was my first ever experience contacting a lawyer, let alone filing a lawsuit. When I was notified to either vacate the apartment within 30 days or pay much more rent than what I had originally signed the lease for, I was in a bit of a panic, and just like those of you reading now, I went on Yelp and found Mark. I was immediately able to talk to him over the phone, explained my situation, and he assured me he could get me out of the mess I was in. 2. Fee - I think it only cost me $200 up front for him to get in touch with the landlord's lawyers. He handled everything, and although he took a portion of the settlement (well deserved), I am still grateful for his help in winning a larger than expected settlement. 3. Communication - We had numerous emails going back and forth (at least 50+) and I can't remember a time where he didn't respond within the hour. 4. Honesty - he really seemed to want to help me out. When I was in the negotiation process for the settlement, he noticed I had under-balled, and recommended going higher. I obviously had no problem with that, and I ended up getting the figure that he had asked for. He knows how to negotiate. 5. Professionalism - everything he did, from understanding my situation, to laying out a plan to protect my rights, to getting that last settlement check. He's got a pretty sweet office too. I won't lie, he makes me want to become a lawyer someday. read more

When I ran into a security deposit issue with my old landlord I started researching attorneys online and came across Mark's reviews. I narrowed my list of potential attorneys down to three different Chicago area attorneys and e-mailed them all with the same information. I wanted to evaluate speed of communication, their style, thoughts on the situation and ease of working with them. Mark responded very quickly and immediately offered up his opinion on the matters and suggested next steps. The other attorneys immediately asked for money, responded days later and it was far more of a "transaction" feeling vs. a partner. Mark was the partner. From the beginning to the very end, Mark has been an absolute pleasure to work with. I never met him in person and it was the easiest, most efficient legal process I've been involved with. He was always in communication with me providing me updates or answering my questions within 24 hours. It was a successful case and it went exactly as I hoped it would. Something that doesn't typically happen when it comes to legal matters. I'd give Mark 6 stars if I could. I really appreciate his help with my matter and if anything ever came up that Mark could help with, I'm definitely going back. I highly recommend Mark! read more

Did a fantastic job for my girlfriend. Very responsive. Got her every penny she was owed by the landlord who withheld the deposit. As an attorney, I was very impressed (although I never actually spoke with him). read more

My husband and I used his service for both our deposit law and immigration law. He's very responsible and reply every single of our e-mail really soon. Working with him was very convenient and efficient. The most important thing is that he charges very reasonable price with awesome quality of work. For our apartment deposit, all we needed to do was two e-mails and our leasing contract, and then he got our deposit back within just two months. According to the experience I got, I highly recommend attorney Mark Silverman to anyone who need help on Deposit or immigration status. read more

Mark responded super fast, and gave professional answer on all my question by email. Only facts, no water. I recommend Mark to anyone who has tricky questions and want to afford a professional answer. read more

Mark is very informative and straightforward. I have been seeking around for help the past week. I had a question about my pending case. Most lawyer are very hard to reach. I would have to schedule days ahead with money up front before my matter was listened to and they always made me felt like the world is ending because of the changes in the case. Mark was different. I was able to reach him directly on the phone. He listened to what I had to say and told me all the possibilities there were to the case, in which ways he could help me and what options I had. It was a 10 minutes phone call and it was all I need to sleep better at night. He was definitely my go to if my case progresses and requires legal help. read more

I have never written a review, but felt an obligation to do so for, Mark's outstanding and diligent work. Mark, is hands down the BEST of the BEST! He is a straight shooter that gets the job done and sets your mind at ease. If you're needing someone you can trust to get the job done, so you can focus on "moving on", don't think twice and give him a call!! THANK YOU, MARK! You are so appreciated! read more

Disappointed. I needed to break my lease for several reasons and so contacted Mr Silverman based on the great reviews I saw on here. I paid him the fee for the lease breaking (almost the amount of my deposit) and he sent a letter/ form to my landlord very quickly. After receiving the letter my landlord did not agree to give any of my security deposit back or to breaking the lease. After I had told Mr. Silverman I wanted to continue with breaking the lease and trying to get at least some of my deposit back-I emailed him more information to help. He said he would speak to the landlord and let me know what he says, but I never heard from Mr Silverman again. In the end I had to work something out with my landlord on my own. It really wasn't worth calling up this lawyer. I just ended up losing more money then I was already losing. :( read more

Mark guided us through a difficult situation were litigation was not the best alternative. It was costly and humiliating, but it was the best decision for our family. That's a fair attorney. read more

I had the unfortunate experience of living with the roommate from hell. This woman was violent and at the time (unbeknownst to me) I was pregnant. I contacted Mark's office and spoke with him directly. After a short conversation, I sent over an email with my contract and received a fast response with a valid legal reason(s) that I had the right to break my lease. All I had to do was sign a simple contract (without any hidden fees) , submit a fair payment and that was that. Mark handled my case with professionalism and ease. Mind you, this all happened during the holiday season, so I was also surprised at how fast and smooth the process took. Not only was I able to legally break my lease, but I also received my full deposit back without any hassle. There is no other attorney I would recommend, but Mark. A fantastic lawyer and great to work with! read more

This guy is fantastic. Had a deposit. Landlord kept all of it. Landlord broke some rules. Mark Silverman got involved and I ended up getting deposit back plus a little extra $ for my time (net, he got his fees on top of the reward). I highly recommend this guy if you ever have any issues as a renter. read more

Upon moving out of my last apartment I had a nightmare of an experience. My landlord scheduled new tenants to move in prior to me moving out. On the day I was moving all boxes and furniture out of my apartment, they showed up needing to bring all of theirs in. They had a rented truck and only a few hours with it, so I had no choice but to allow them to move in to my apartment out of my own good will! I had to all but rush out of my own apartment, couldn't even use my restrooms nor shower before leaving to drive across country. Turns out, it was my landlord's wedding day and her priorities were clearly elsewhere. She had to be interrupted during her day to hear about the nightmare at the apartment that she had caused. I left the apartment in impeccable condition and the new tenants were able to set up all of their belongings immediately. There were absolutely no damages and I always kept my apartment astoundingly clean. Anyhow, months after the move I was still waiting for my security deposit back as well as a check for early move out. Landlord and I had agreed upon me vacating the apartment for the 1st of July (when my lease was until mid July) so that she could rent the apartment to tenants who needed a July 1st move in date (they ended up showing up in June due to the landlord's negligence). It was well over the allotted time for her to send me back my funds but soon I did receive something from her... Instead of receiving my security deposit and refund I received an abomination of a bill listing absurd damages that NEVER existed. She essentially claimed to renovate the whole apartment on my dime - keeping my refund and security deposit and slapping me with an additional bill of funds due to her. I knew this was clearly some sort of personal vendetta because she had to be disturbed on her wedding day for the fiasco she carelessly created. Beyond frustrated I decided to contact an attorney to take legal action against her to retrieve funds that were rightfully due to me. Luckily, I stumbled upon Mark Silverman when reading reviews for deposit law attorneys and hired him immediately (for a ridiculously low retainer fee to boot!). Usually in these situations many people find themselves unable to pay a high retainer fee in order to take legal action, but with Mark this was no problem at all. Honestly, I was shocked at the amount of work and efforts from Mark with such a low retainer. Mark was beyond responsive from the moment I contacted him and was available to me at ANY time, day or night, always having answers and updates for me. This was key as I was halfway across the country at this point and had no other way of being in the loop - mind you all of our communication was via telephone or e-mail and he still ceased to amaze me with his work. My landlord of course did not go down easily, but Mark ended up getting back not only my security deposit and refund but damages as well AND all his attorney fees were taken care of by the landlord. I never thought I would see this money again, and believe me it was not easy! She fought until she could not fight anymore, but Mark saw it through all the while answering my millions of questions and keeping me abreast of every detail of the case. I have never had the pleasure of working with such a straightforward, efficient and responsive attorney such as Mark Silverman and I would recommend him to absolutely everyone and anyone who finds themselves in a horrible and corrupt situation such as mine. I will be forever thankful to Mark for all his hard work and diligence in settling my case. The reviews speak for themselves. You will NOT be disappointed. He deserves a million stars, unfortunately I can only give him five. read more

Mark was thorough, assuring and above all a superior communicator. My roommate and I reached a favorable settlement with our landlord in large part to Mark. He was a pleasure to work with and I highly recommend Mark to anyone seeking representation in security deposit disputes. read more

Mark is without a doubt an incredible lawyer. We retained him in December 2015 for a lease termination. For literally months, our landlord avoided being served our complaint to sue him for his violations of the Chicago RLTO. Despite that, Mark continued to persist on our behalf and now 15 months later, finally got our case taken to trial. At trial, Mark was incredibly intelligent, well spoken, and was the perfect advocate for the rights of us as tenants. Mark came armed with indisputable facts, and without his diligence we would have never been able to "win" our case (I say "win" because his argument was so fierce the landlord settled before the verdict came out). Furthermore, his fees are very fair and we were able to leave court with exactly what we asked for and more! read more

Mark did a great job. I had a landlord who was a "real estate lawyer" by trade but, frankly, in my opinion quite possibly among the most incompetent of any lawyer ever certified to practice. She wrote a lease with unlawful provisions. She attempted to enforce the unlawful provisions. She made numerous unlawful entries to show the home to prospective buyers. She and her husband harassed us constantly by phone and email. It was ridiculous. Anyway, her actions put her in a pretty clear legal bind. Mark helped me negotiate a $9,000 settlement plus return of 95% of my deposit (which was significant). It would have gone MUCH worse for her had this gone to court. Given what others have written about Mark's court manners I almost wish it had come to that. You would be wise to engage Mark if you have a difficult landlord. read more

I reached out to Mark Silverman for a free consultation regarding my unique landlord dispute. Unfortunately, he was unable to help my specific case. Regardless, I can't speak highly enough of him as an attorney. He responded within minutes to my initial email, answered multiple questions despite knowing he could not litigate my case (and wouldn't get fees), and gave me clarification on some sticky subjects. I have worked in law firms who don't treat their paying clients half as well as Mark treated me, a non-paying initial consult. I give him A++, all around. read more

Mark was reliable, professional, and got the job done. In my case my landlord deducted a number of BS repair "estimates" from my security deposit which were never followed up with proper receipts (because she just pocketed the money) A few key points about working with Mark. 1. He offered substantial and honest advice prior to me paying the retainer. His advice even included telling me to wait a month for further inaction from my landlord before paying him anything. 2. I never met Mark in person, but I never needed to. Everything was handled over email which he responded to promptly at all hours of the day. 3. My claim against my landlord was for a relatively low dollar amount (compared to some of the stories in other reviews) but I did not feel like it affected the importance of my case 4. With current tenant laws and Mark's pricing model there is very little downside risk to pursuing what you feel is rightfully yours. Landlords have the burden of proof for every deduction and if they lose in court they have to repay the deductions + large penalties + their own legal costs + Mark's legals costs. If you lose you are only out the retainer fee and court admin fees. Because of this I have to imagine that most landlords will seek a settlement unless they are very confident that they did nothing wrong. Our case ended with a settlement. After I received my reduced sec. deposit check from my landlord my first reaction was to just cut my losses and not deal with that person ever again. But unreasonable/false deductions are no different than your landlord stealing money straight from your wallet, and it should be treated as such. Take action. read more

Mark Silverman is an amazing lawyer and is extremely knowledgeable in landlord tenant issues specifically to getting deposits back. He helped me and my sister in out to finally get our deposit back and much more after noticing many errors in the whole lease agreement to begin with. The process was fast and quite painless. He was fast to respond to all my questions and quickly get the needed outcome. I hope to never again be in a situation with a difficult landlord but if I do, I know Mark will be the right support. read more

Knowing my rights as a tenant, I felt that they were being abused after moving out of my last apartment in regard to the return of the security deposit. I sought advice from a friend in the real estate business and he quickly recommended Mark's services. Retaining Mark was super simple and reasonably priced. Throughout the entire process (which lasted only a few months), Mark was extremely responsive with questions I had and kept me updated on where we were in the legal process. He continually shared his knowledge of landlord/tenant law so that I could make informed decisions regarding settlement/litigation. He was always professional, courteous, and available. After agreeing on a settlement with my former landlord, Mark seamlessly arranged the handling of all paperwork and settlement checks. Overall, as a busy professional, I was initially a bit hesitant to embark on a legal battle with a Chicago landlord. I didn't have the time or the energy. However, I am so glad I made the choice to pursue legal action. Mark was incredible throughout the whole process. He did ALL the heavy lifting and helped me reach the settlement I deserved. It was a monetary and moral victory!! If you're in a questionable landlord/tenant situation, reach out to Mark. He's definitely your guy. read more

Mark Silverman to the rescue! My roommates and myself attempted to break a lease early for several reasons. Of course, our landlord did not let us, and stated we would not be able to break the lease, if we did, he would make us pay the remaining rent and keep the security deposit. The apartment we were renting was a brand new construction, so everything was in "perfect condition" when we moved in (and when we moved out). Mark Silverman got us out of our lease legally, in a very timely manner. Our landlord stated he would keeping our deposit and that we owe him an additional hundred dollars. Our landlord stated there was an extensive amount of damage to the unit. Thankfully, when we left we video recorded a walk through and took pictures of everything. After breaking the lease with Mark Silverman, Mark helped us get our security deposit back, every penny of it. Mark has an amazing talent, and I would recommend him to any tenant who is having trouble with a landlord. I was a little hesitant at first to contact a lawyer, but Mark made the process go as easily and smoothly as possible. Mark answered emails 24 hours a day, including the weekends; he also made sure we understood everything that was going on. The fee Mark charges is minimal. I contacted the Tenant Union here in Chicago, and they wanted us to pay them 1.5x the deposit to break the lease. That cost did not cover getting our deposit back, so I could only imagine what that places charges for that. Bottom line, you can not go wrong with Mark Silverman. read more

Mark is a great lawyer. He knows CRLTO and Evanston Landlord tenant law backwards and forward. We had filed our initial complaint Prose and Mark still took our case. Call him. He is accessible, transparent and generally a nice person. He is not afraid to engage your landlord or their attorney. He is also not afraid to take a dishonest landlord to trial. He delivers on what he promises and we were quite pleased with our settlement. Dishonest landlords beware the empowered tenant! Thanks again Mark! read more