I agree with jsprinkles for the most part. There is a great deal of legal advice packed in there. The OP needs a lawyer.
But on the other hand, I have to agree with nirvana about one thing. A certain amount of work must necessarily fall on the OP to find the right lawyer for the case. As nirvana says, there will be plenty of lawyers who aren't really interested and just say "roll over," while there will be others who would want to aggressively pursue the case. I'm not saying the former type is wrong and the latter right. But it's worth considering that different lawyers will have fundamentally different attitudes about the case and different styles. The OP should be cognizant of that when picking a lawyer.
You don't have to do any work to find a lawyer beyond calling your county bar association's lawyer referral service (or the ABA lawyer referral service). Lawyers are obligated to turn down cases on which they would be unable to provide competent representation. They will ask you for information, you will provide it, and they will determine whether they can competently provide representation. Trust them.
But surely you're not suggesting that all lawyers are equally effective, have the same style (level of aggressiveness, etc.), or would have the same opinion about a given case?
I can say with certainty, from firsthand experience, that none of these three things is true. I've also seen lawyers replaced because their performance was inadequate.
Given that, how could one possibly avoid having to carefully and deliberately choose a lawyer?
Consider finding a lawyer like dating: if the first date (initial consultation, which is generally free) leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth, move on.
But on the other hand, I have to agree with nirvana about one thing. A certain amount of work must necessarily fall on the OP to find the right lawyer for the case. As nirvana says, there will be plenty of lawyers who aren't really interested and just say "roll over," while there will be others who would want to aggressively pursue the case. I'm not saying the former type is wrong and the latter right. But it's worth considering that different lawyers will have fundamentally different attitudes about the case and different styles. The OP should be cognizant of that when picking a lawyer.