[cudgy]

A decent lawyer costs $400+ per hour. 1-2 hours for initial consult, 3-4 hours to prepare the motion and another 3-4 hours to appear before a judge. Other side delays for another hearing and add another 3-4 hours … could cost $5000+

[dpifke]

20 hours at $400/hour is $8k. For a business with five employees, long-term leases, etc., that's painful, but shouldn't bankrupt you.

It also really should be covered by insurance, but in my experience you want your own counsel separate from your insurer's anyways, and specialty legal insurance isn't worth the paper on which the policy is printed. Far cheaper to just apply for a business credit card (or keep the balance on your existing one low enough to cover sudden unexpected expenses like these).

[letsdothisagain]

The system is working exactly as designed.

[cudgy]

I assume you are being sarcastic.