Legal Question in Business Law in California

One alternative is to hire a lawyer on a limited scope basis. See, for example, http://limitedscopecounsel.com/ Some attorneys offer sliding scale fees, based on your ability to pay. Some local county bar associations have no and low fee panels, if you qualify.

The rates that lawyers charge can vary, due to geography, experience level, a lawyer's need for new business, and a host of other factors. You may need to start interviewing lawyers to see if someone will represent you for a lower hourly fee. You should be able to find someone that charges less than $450/hour without too much difficulty, particularly if you work with smaller firms, or firms outside major metropolitan areas.

If you just mean you can't afford this particular lawyer, then you can hire another one instead who is less expensive. You can also represent yourself in pro per and hire a lawyer to consult with you out of court; that way you'll be better able to protect your interests, and you'll be billed for less attorney time. (That won't be nearly as good as having a lawyer represent you, but it's better than going without one altogether.) There are other options as well, though I would need to know more about the case before I could say which ones might make sense for you.

Feel free to contact me directly if you'd like to discuss your case in more detail.