Freelance Contract Dispute - contract has unconscionable terms

I'm dealing with a situation and need some guidance.

contract has unconscionable terms. I've been dealing with this for about 7 months now and the situation isn't improving.

The contract was signed 23 months ago. I have a copy of the original agreement. The total amount in dispute is approximately $39,000.

Should I hire a lawyer for this or try to handle it myself?

I work in this industry and unfortunately this is very common. The good news is that when people actually push back with legal representation supposedly, companies usually settle haha.