was FTX actually liquidated? Last I read the lawyers were just busy paying themselves $500,000 a day

Yes. Among other things, the Anthropic stake was sold, and repayments have begun. The full process will probably drag out through next year at least.

On the lawyer fees...do you expect someone to do it for free? Would you rather hire someone without the expertise? Do you think the crimes are the estate lawyers' fault?

Process costs money. You can sneer at the professionals that work hard to keep a lawful society in order, if you like. SBF sure did. Look where that got him.