That's a cheap patent. Especially given the timescale. Look at it this way. Can you find a lawyer to help shepherd a patent for 5 years and his/her fee is less then 10.000 dollars per year?
I kept down the cost by doing a ton of the legwork myself. Lots of drafting, diagrams, picking apart the examiner's citations etc. But for a lot of it you absolutely need a professional to help.