It seems that hourly rates of german lawyers are €100 to €500 which is about what I would expect. Even a few hours of time is a lot. To explain the case, have the lawyer or their designate review it, prepare for a case and show up to court is many hours at a minimum. Even if it is a simple matter.

But the defendant still has to put the funds up in the first place? It’s a huge gamble and most people don’t even have the ante available.

Is there anywhere in the world that has a robust and comprehensive public funding for legal entanglements of all types?