If we have a database that is password protected and the person who set the password left the company some time ago, is there a way to get into the database at all?

We do password recovery for FileMaker (except V 7) for $25. http://www.fmdeveloper.com/pricing.php

We require proof of ownership before we can recover the password

Hi, Gareth! Uh... NO, but yes...

The password is there to keep people out so if it were easy to bypass, there'd be little point to it. I read a thread in another FileMaker forums site where a professional web developer decided to test FM security and was able to get in to password-protected db's after a day's development time, but he knew security issues and methodologies very, very well.

Go for Tim's Solutions Consulting or find someone who'll do it for free. There's no "easy" way.
--ST