DIY or hire a property tax attorney for your Cook County appeal?
You do not have to choose between doing every piece of research manually and handing the entire appeal to someone else. If you are comfortable filing the appeal yourself, there is a middle option: let purpose-built software do the analytical work.
Run your property before deciding how much help you need.
See real comparable evidence first. No credit card required.
Free to check first. No credit card required.
Three ways to handle a Cook County appeal.
You research and build the case.
- County filing itself is free.
- You research the records and select the comps.
- You calculate, organize, and submit the evidence.
- You keep 100% of any savings.
Simple Tax Appeal does the analytical work.
- Software analyzes and ranks comparable evidence.
- The requested value and filing materials are prepared.
- You submit the appeal yourself.
- $49 flat. Both Cook County appeal stages.
- You keep 100% of any savings.
You delegate more of the process.
- The provider performs its own analysis.
- Filing and representation depend on the engagement.
- Cost varies by provider and fee arrangement.
- Can fit unusual, complex, or higher-stakes situations.
What actually changes between the three options?
Which approach makes sense?
DIY alone may fit if:
- you enjoy doing the research yourself;
- you are comfortable evaluating comparable properties;
- you want to minimize cash cost;
- you do not mind building the evidence package yourself.
Software-assisted DIY may fit if:
- you are comfortable submitting the appeal yourself;
- you want analytical leverage without full representation;
- you want the comp research and calculations already organized;
- you want a flat, known cost;
- you want to keep 100% of any savings.
Professional representation may fit if:
- you do not want to manage the filing yourself;
- the property or valuation issue is unusually complex;
- you want someone else handling the process;
- you specifically want professional representation.
Homeowners can represent themselves.
The Cook County Board of Review states that individual taxpayers may represent themselves. It also describes lack-of-uniformity cases in terms of comparing the subject's assessment per square foot with similar properties in the same neighborhood and classification, with age and construction style among the practical similarity factors.
We can still help you choose the next step.
Simple Tax Appeal is built for homeowners who want to file themselves. If you would rather have someone handle the appeal, we are beginning to maintain a Cook County property tax attorney referral network.
Ask for a short list of local professionals. This is an early service experiment; it is not a claim that every referred professional is a formal partner.
Ask for an attorney referralWant to file it yourself without doing all the research yourself?
Run your property first. See real comparable evidence before deciding whether the complete package is worth $49. One purchase covers the Cook County Assessor and Board of Review stages for that property and assessment year.
Check your property and see whether the evidence supports a DIY appeal.
General information only, not legal advice or a recommendation to hire—or avoid hiring—a particular professional.