Freelance Contract Dispute — other party claiming force majeure

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

other party claiming force majeure. I've been dealing with this for about 14 months now and the situation isn't improving.

The contract was signed 14 months ago. I have a copy of the original agreement. The total amount in dispute is approximately $77,000.

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, companies usually settle.