Freelance Contract Dispute — contractor abandoned project halfway

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

contractor abandoned project halfway. I've been dealing with this for about 6 months now and the situation isn't improving.

The contract was signed 19 months ago. I have a copy of the original agreement. The total amount in dispute is approximately $5,000.

Has anyone been through something similar? What worked for you?

I had a similar issue and ended up consulting with an attorney. It was worth the $200-300 for the initial consultation just to understand my rights.

I've dealt with this before.

The biggest mistake people make in this situation is having everything documented. I'd recommend keeping a detailed timeline instead.

Following this thread — I'm in a very similar situation. Would love to hear how it turns out.

I specialize in this area of law. Here's my take on the legal issues.

There are several legal theories that could apply here. The strongest is probably the implied covenant of good faith, which requires showing commercially reasonable.

Before taking legal action, consider sending a formal demand letter. In many cases, this alone resolves the issue.

Been there. Here's what I learned.

I ended up filing with the appropriate government agency, which cost about $4-8 but saved me a lot more in the long run.

Been there. Here's what I learned.

The biggest mistake people make in this situation is escalating to a supervisor/manager. I'd recommend following the formal complaint procedure instead.

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

Following this thread — I'm in a very similar situation. Would love to hear how it turns out.

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

I had a similar issue and ended up consulting with an attorney. It was worth the $200-300 for the initial consultation just to understand my rights.

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

I've dealt with this before.

What worked for me was escalating to a supervisor/manager. It took 1-3 months but was worth it.