Freelance Contract Dispute — client won't pay for completed work

Quick background on my situation — any input appreciated.

client won't pay for completed work. I've been dealing with this for about 15 weeks now and the situation isn't improving.

The contract was signed 8 months ago. I have a copy of the original agreement. The total amount in dispute is approximately $149,000.

What's the typical outcome in situations like this?

Just want to point out — the statute of limitations might be a factor here. In some states it's as short as 1-2 years. Don't sit on this too long.

I've dealt with this before.

I ended up escalating to a supervisor/manager, which cost about $1-3 but saved me a lot more in the long run.

I've seen this play out several times in my field.

I ended up having everything documented, which cost about $3-6 but saved me a lot more in the long run.

Have you tried reaching out to your state's labor board? They sometimes have free resources or mediation services.

Just want to point out — the statute of limitations might be a factor here. In some states it's as short as 1-2 years. Don't sit on this too long.