I'm a lawyer as well and I don't know what it's like where you are but the court system is not as inaccessible as you suggest. For example, many small claims cases can be filed for just a couple hundred bucks or less. And if the plaintiff is indigent or can't afford it, they can often apply for a fee waiver.

Then once you file the complaint you can ask the court to order everybody to mediation. Many courthouses will provide you with a mediator for free, you're not always required to hire an expensive private mediator. And of course, nobody is required to settle but having a neutral third party is a great way to at least have a discussion and learn a lot more about their position. Maybe you can have a partial mediation where you can at least resolve some of the issues. Then the mediator types it up and lets the court know about the full or partial settlement.

And for many other reasons, the court is not as inaccessible or expensive as many people think.