Buyers
Contract review, inspection negotiation, and closing guidance.
Woman-owned | Chicago real estate counsel
Yourclosing,handledright.
Sutton Law guides buyers, sellers, investors, trusts, and business entities from signed contract to the closing table with direct attorney involvement at every stage of the transaction.
Boutique representation for buyers, sellers, investors, trusts, and business entities throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.
Sellers
Disclosure, title, document preparation, and net-proceeds review.
Investors
Representation for rental, multi-unit, trust, and entity deals.
Downtown Chicago office
333 S. Wabash Ave., Suite 2700
Sutton Law keeps closings organized from the first contract review call through final signatures and disbursement.
Why Sutton Law
Proof that holds up before the first call.
Sutton Law brings the public proof clients actually look for: exceptional reviews, steady yearly closings, and a boutique attorney-led experience that still feels personal.
5.0
Google rating
Sutton Law maintains a 5-star Google rating, reflecting the firm's reputation for responsive communication and steady closing counsel.
188
Google reviews
That review volume gives buyers, sellers, and referral partners something more useful than marketing language: repeated public feedback from real clients.
250+
Closings each year
The practice handles meaningful annual closing volume while staying boutique, attorney-led, and close to each file.
Woman-owned
Chicago boutique practice
Clients work with a woman-owned Chicago boutique practice built around direct access, practical advice, and a more personal closing experience.
“I can count on Erin's and Sarah's real estate expertise.”
Kasey KoronkowskiConcurrent buy-and-sell client
“Both Sarah and Erin were very knowledgeable and incredibly helpful.”
Debbie McKayDowntown Chicago condo buyer
“Sarah's attorney review process will protect you whether you're a buyer or a seller.”
John MoonyRecent Google review
Direct attorney involvement
Clients are not pushed through a handoff chain. The attorneys stay engaged where timing, leverage, and judgment matter most.
Built for Illinois closings
The work is grounded in the realities of Chicagoland transactions: attorney review, title issues, prorations, lenders, inspections, and municipal requirements.
Clear counsel, approachable style
Sutton Law keeps the work disciplined and professional without turning the client experience cold, vague, or overly corporate.
Public proof that holds up
A 5-star rating, 188 Google reviews, and 250-plus closings a year show a firm that is trusted, active, and consistently recommended.
What We Do
Real estate counsel for the parts of the deal that actually matter.
Sutton Law represents buyers, sellers, investors, trusts, and business entities with practical legal work that keeps Chicagoland transactions protected and moving.
Home Buyers
Contract review, attorney review negotiation, inspection strategy, lender coordination, and closing attendance for residential purchases throughout Chicagoland.
Once both sides sign the contract, the attorney review period becomes the critical first window for protecting a buyer's position. Sutton Law reviews the agreement, proposes revisions, negotiates with the seller's attorney, and stays involved all the way through closing.
- Review the purchase contract and related addenda
- Draft and negotiate attorney review revisions
- Address inspection issues, repair credits, and contingency amendments
- Review seller documents, title materials, and closing figures
- Attend closing and help ensure the final documents track the deal
Sellers
Attorney review response and negotiation, disclosure guidance, title coordination, seller closing document preparation, and closing support for residential sales.
For sellers, the legal work is about protecting proceeds, managing disclosure and title issues, and keeping the closing package accurate. Sutton Law handles the back-and-forth with buyer counsel and helps keep municipal and title requirements on track.
- Respond to buyer attorney review requests and proposed modifications
- Review disclosure obligations and supporting closing materials
- Coordinate title, survey, water, and municipal compliance items
- Prepare seller documents and verify prorations and net proceeds
- Attend closing and help resolve final execution issues
Investors
Representation for residential investment and multi-unit transactions with attention to leases, title risk, timeline management, and closing execution.
Investment deals usually carry more moving pieces than a standard single-family closing. Sutton Law helps investors manage contract risk, tenant- or lease-related due diligence, title questions, and the practical details that affect performance after closing.
- Review deal terms with investment-specific risk in mind
- Flag issues tied to leases, tenant occupancy, and building use
- Coordinate title, survey, and due diligence review
- Track transaction deadlines and amendment needs
- Support closings for repeat investors and portfolio growth
Trusts and Businesses
Entity and trust-held property transactions, deed preparation, authority-document review, and added coordination for more complex ownership structures.
When property is owned by a trust, LLC, or corporation, the transaction needs more than a standard closing checklist. Sutton Law helps ensure the right entity is named, the right party signs, and the closing file matches the ownership structure.
- Review trust certificates, operating agreements, and corporate authority
- Prepare or review deeds for trust and entity transactions
- Coordinate with title on vesting and signatory requirements
- Handle transfers involving estates, trusts, and LLC ownership
- Support closings where one or both sides involve entities
Attorney review with leverage
The most important legal work often happens early. Sutton Law focuses on the window where contract terms can still be improved and risk can still be reduced.
Deadline discipline
Inspection contingencies, financing timelines, title objections, notices, and closing tasks are tracked so the deal does not drift into preventable problems.
Grounded transaction advice
Clients get direct, practical guidance that reflects the legal realities of the deal without turning every decision into unnecessary complexity.
Why Illinois Closings Need Counsel
A real estate closing in Illinois is legal work, not just paperwork.
Illinois is an attorney-closing state. Contract terms, title, inspections, prorations, and closing documents all deserve legal review before money changes hands.
Illinois is an attorney-closing state
Attorney involvement is a normal part of a residential real estate transaction here. Buyers and sellers are not simply filling out forms and showing up to sign.
Attorney review is where leverage lives
Most standard Chicagoland contracts include a short attorney review window. That is the moment to revise terms, negotiate protections, and catch risk before it hardens.
The legal work continues after review
Inspection credits, title exceptions, municipal compliance, loan documents, and closing statements all need disciplined legal attention before money changes hands.
What Sutton Law reviews
The issues that usually shape the closing before closing day.
- Purchase contract review and attorney review letters
- Inspection contingency strategy and amendment drafting
- Title commitment review and issue escalation
- Lender document review and closing disclosure checks
- Property tax, HOA, utility, and other proration review
- Seller-side municipal and closing requirement coordination
How It Works
From signed contract to a controlled closing.
Clients do not need theatrics. They need a lawyer who knows where Illinois deals tend to bend, stall, or go sideways and who keeps the file organized from review through closing day.
Start your consultation01
Early leverage
Attorney review and contract protection
Once the contract is signed, Sutton Law reviews the agreement closely, identifies the clauses that matter, and negotiates revisions while the attorney review period is still open.
- Review purchase terms, deadlines, and addenda
- Propose contract revisions that protect your side of the deal
- Negotiate inspection, financing, and timing issues with opposing counsel
02
Deal discipline
Due diligence, title, and deadline control
After review, the focus shifts to keeping the transaction intact without losing leverage. The firm tracks contingencies, addresses title items, and coordinates with brokers, lenders, and the title company.
- Monitor inspection, mortgage, and delivery deadlines
- Review title commitments, surveys, and closing requirements
- Handle repair credits, notices, and transaction amendments
03
Final sign-off
Closing preparation and closing-day representation
Before the closing table, Sutton Law reviews the final figures, confirms the document set makes sense, and helps ensure the transaction closes the way it was negotiated.
- Check prorations, settlement figures, and net proceeds
- Review loan and seller closing documents where needed
- Attend closing and help resolve last-minute issues cleanly
Meet the Team
Boutique-firm access with attorneys who stay close to the deal.
Clients work with the attorneys shown here, not a faceless pipeline. Sutton Law stays intentionally boutique so communication remains direct and the legal work stays close to the transaction.
Sarah Sutton
Founder and Real Estate Attorney
Sarah Sutton focuses exclusively on real estate and represents purchasers, sellers, investors, trusts, and businesses throughout Chicagoland.
- Residential purchases and sales
- Investment property transactions
- Trust and entity closings
Erin Shanahan
Real Estate Attorney
Erin Shanahan advises buyers and sellers throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs and counties on residential and investment property transactions.
- Buyer and seller representation
- Residential and investment closings
- Chicago and suburban transactions
Service Areas
Chicago city neighborhoods and surrounding suburbs.
Sutton Law represents clients throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs on residential, investment, trust, and business-related real estate matters.
Chicago neighborhoods
From North Side condos to South Side single-family homes and investment properties, Sutton Law works throughout the city on purchase, sale, and closing matters.
Lincoln ParkLakeviewWicker ParkBucktownLogan SquareRoscoe VillageOld TownGold CoastRiver NorthWest LoopSouth LoopPilsenBridgeportHyde ParkAndersonvilleRavenswoodLincoln SquareNorth CenterAvondaleEdgewaterRogers ParkBeverly
Suburbs and county coverage
The practice also serves clients throughout the nearby suburbs and regularly handles transactions across the main collar-county footprint.
EvanstonOak ParkSkokieWilmetteHighland ParkNorthbrookGlenviewPark RidgeArlington HeightsSchaumburgNapervilleHinsdaleLa GrangeElmhurstWheatonDowners GroveOrland ParkTinley Park
Cook CountyDuPage CountyLake CountyWill County
Common Questions
Frequently asked questions.
These answers cover the issues buyers, sellers, and referral partners usually want clarified before the first conversation.
Do I need a real estate attorney in Illinois?
Illinois is an attorney-closing state, so attorney involvement is a standard and important part of the transaction. A real estate attorney helps protect your interests during contract review, negotiations, title review, and closing.
When should I contact Sutton Law?
The best time is as soon as a contract is signed. Attorney review is time-sensitive, and early involvement gives your side more room to negotiate contract terms, inspection issues, and deadlines before options start shrinking.
What is the attorney review period?
Most standard Illinois residential contracts include a short attorney review window, often five business days. During that period, the attorneys can propose changes, negotiate terms, or disapprove the contract if necessary.
What happens if the home inspection reveals problems?
If the inspection turns up issues, your attorney can negotiate a repair credit, specific repairs, contract revisions, or in some cases termination rights under the inspection contingency. The right response depends on what the contract allows and how serious the findings are.
What are prorations and why do they matter?
Prorations are closing adjustments used to divide expenses like property taxes, condo assessments, and certain utilities between the buyer and seller based on the closing date. Illinois property tax prorations can be especially important because taxes are paid in arrears.
What is title insurance and do I need it?
Title insurance protects against problems in the property's title history, such as undisclosed liens, recording errors, or other defects that were not cleared before closing. Lenders typically require a lender's policy, and buyers often purchase an owner's policy for their own protection.
Can the buyer and seller use the same attorney?
No. The buyer and seller have different and often conflicting interests in the same transaction, so each side should have independent legal representation.
How are trust or LLC closings different?
Transactions involving trusts, LLCs, or corporations usually require extra authority documents, entity-specific deed preparation, and closer attention to how title is vested and who is authorized to sign.
What areas does Sutton Law serve?
Sutton Law works throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, including communities across Cook, DuPage, Lake, and Will counties. If your property is outside the core service area, the firm can confirm whether the matter is a fit.
What should I send before our first conversation?
If you have them, send the signed contract, any inspection materials, the property address, the expected closing date, and the names of the other professionals involved in the deal. That context makes the first conversation much more productive.
Contact
Let's talk about your closing.
Whether you are under contract or preparing to sign, Sutton Law brings prompt communication, practical guidance, and disciplined closing counsel to each matter.
Office
333 South Wabash Avenue, Suite 2700
Chicago, IL 60604
Chicago, IL 60604
Phone, Fax, and Email
Hours
Monday - Friday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Weekends & After Hours: By Appointment
Weekends & After Hours: By Appointment
Helpful to send ahead
- Signed contract, if available
- Property address and expected closing date
- Inspection or title issues already on the table
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Start the intake.
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