A good defense attorney may run you $500 an hour retail in San Francisco. That’s going to work out to be a about a month’s worth of billings, probably spread out over a year or two.
Of course, there are a lot of lawyers who went to unaccredited schools out there, so you can go cheaper, but the risk is going to go up.
You can get a lot more good lawyering for your money in Atlanta, or Dallas, or Houston or Memphis. Just stay away from the international megafirms. San Francisco or LA (or New York)? Bring a fat wallet.
You are probably right.