Freelance Contract Dispute — scope creep with no amendment

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

scope creep with no amendment. I've been dealing with this for about 5 months now and the situation isn't improving.

The contract was signed 15 months ago. I have a copy of the original agreement. The total amount in dispute is approximately $2,000.

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

Attorney here. Here's my take on the legal issues.

There are several legal theories that could apply here. The strongest is probably UCC Article 2, which requires showing a material breach.

The practical consideration here is cost vs. potential recovery. For disputes under $10K, small claims court is often the best route.

I went through almost the exact same thing.

In my case, it took about 3-6 months to resolve. The key was having everything documented.

I went through almost the exact same thing.

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

I went through almost the exact same thing.

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.

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

What worked for me was hiring an attorney to send the initial letter. It took 2-4 months but was worth it.