Ohio Bar Admission
Admitted to the Ohio Bar and active in good standing. Resident of Cuyahoga County.
Founding Partner
Nicholas Costaras, Esq.
Founder of Costaras Law. A direct, practical Ohio attorney who left big-firm hourly billing behind to build a boutique transactional practice based on flat fees, fast turnarounds, working with one attorney from start to signing.
Why I Built This Firm
Estate, business, and contract counsel, without the billable-hour theater.
I started Costaras Law because the work most of my clients need (forming an LLC, drafting a will, reviewing a contract) gets too expensive under the same hourly-billing model big firms use for litigation. Small business owners and families end up paying for simple revisions and back-office overhead instead of for outcomes.
We treat our services like straightforward transactions, not a source of billable hours. That lets us promise three things other boutique firms in Northeast Ohio struggle to deliver: a flat fee quoted before any work begins, fast turnarounds, and one named attorney (me) working with you from the first call to the signing meeting.
“Clients don't come here to get buried in documents. They come here to get things done, correctly, completely, and with the confidence that comes from a clear plan.”
How I Practice
A working-owner's lawyer, not a textbook quoter.
- I'm also a real-estate investor and a small-business owner. Every recommendation passes the "would I do this myself?" test.
- I stay in my lane on purpose: business transactions, estate planning, contract review. No litigation, no probate from scratch. If you need those, I'll refer you to attorneys I'd hire myself.
- Flat fees, in writing, before we engage. The price is the price.
- Direct line to working with me. No partner walls, no junior associate hand-offs, no "I'll have to circle back with the team."
- Modern tooling (AI-augmented contract review, secure e-signing, e-funding for trusts) without a bloated price tag.
Credentials
Licensed and rooted in Ohio.
Real-Estate Investor
An active investor in Northeast Ohio rental property. Experience with landlord-tenant relationships, LLC structuring, and 1031 exchanges.
Small-Business Owner
Built this firm from one desk. Understands the challenges Ohio business owners face: payroll, taxes, and hard conversations with stakeholders.
Practice Focus
One attorney deeply focused on three disciplines: estate planning, business law, and contract review.
Outside the Office
Roots in Northeast Ohio.
Nicholas was raised in Greater Cleveland and built the firm in Independence to stay close to the small businesses, real-estate operators, and multi-generational families that make up his practice. He's an active member of the Cleveland Greek community and serves on local boards focused on entrepreneurship and estate planning education.
Questions for Nicholas
What clients ask first.
At big firms, the work most of my clients really need (forming an LLC, drafting a trust, reviewing a contract) gets lumped into the same hourly-billing model used for litigation. I wanted to charge a flat fee for a defined outcome, and use modern tooling to deliver faster.
You'll work with me directly from our first call to signing. If another attorney ever joins the firm, the promise won't change. Every matter still gets one named attorney who owns it.
No. I stay in my lane on purpose: business transactions, estate planning, and contract review. If you need a litigator or a probate attorney, I'll refer you to someone I'd hire myself.
I'm an active real-estate investor and the owner of this firm. I've signed payroll, paid quarterly taxes, drafted my own buy-sells. Every recommendation passes the "would I do this myself?" test.
Direct line: (440) 613-0439. Email: admin@costaraslaw.com. Or book a free 15-minute introduction via the button on this page. No obligation, no sales pitch.