PSA: That 'free consultation' at Smith & Jones Law isn't what you think

Went to Smith & Jones Law on Clark St last week for a free consultation about my landlord issue. Turns out they had me sign a fee agreement hidden in the intake forms. Called the Illinois State Bar Association after and they confirmed that's not standard. Anyone else get tricked by a 'free' consult that turned into a billing trap?

2 comments

2 Comments

johnson.river23h ago

Did you actually read everything you signed before handing it back?

linda_reed21h ago

My husband once signed a lease for an apartment without reading it and later found out we couldn't have our cat. The cat was already living there with us for three months before they noticed. We ended up having to pay a huge pet fee and rehome the cat to my sister. Now I read everything like a detective, even the fine print on pizza coupons. You never know when a tiny detail will come back to bite you!