Are legal services "unaffordable"?

A few days ago, The Atlantic published an article titled Is There Such a Thing as an Affordable Lawyer?  The article argues that the monopoly on legal services by lawyers results in legal services becoming overpriced and unaffordable.  I agree that legal services are expensive and that many people in need of services can't afford them, but the story upon which the article is based did not provide the best support for the argument according to comments in the Legal Ethics Forum and My Shingle.