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: flat fees, fast turnarounds, 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 actually need (forming an LLC, drafting a will, reviewing a contract) gets buried under the same hourly-billing model big firms use for litigation. Owners and families end up paying for indecision and back-office overhead instead of for outcomes.
We do transactions. That focus lets us promise three things every other boutique in Northeast Ohio struggles to deliver together: a flat fee quoted before any work begins, same-week availability, and one named attorney (me) 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. 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 the modern price tag.
Credentials
Licensed and rooted in Ohio.
Real-Estate Investor
Active investor in Northeast Ohio rental property: landlord-tenant, LLC structuring, and 1031 exchanges from the inside.
Small-Business Owner
Built this firm from one desk. Knows what payroll, taxes, and a hard-conversation Tuesday feel like for the owners we serve.
Practice Focus
Estate planning · business law · contract review. Three disciplines, one attorney, deeply.
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.
The work most of my clients actually need (forming an LLC, drafting a trust, reviewing a contract) gets buried under the same hourly-billing model big firms use for litigation. I wanted to charge a flat fee for a defined outcome, and use modern tooling to deliver faster. The boutique structure is what makes that possible.
Me, directly, from first call to signing. No partner walls. No junior associate hand-offs. If someone else ever joins the firm, that promise won't change. Every matter still gets a 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: Nicholas@costaraslaw.com. Or book a free 15-minute introduction via the button on this page. No obligation, no sales pitch.