Going to Court Without a Lawyer Is New Normal for U.S. Litigants

Terry Winston knew the credit-card bills were nonsense, but her difficulty proving it in court shows how America’s two-tiered justice system -- one for those who can pay for a lawyer, the other for those who can’t -- has spread to civil litigation.

Asset Recovery Solutions LLC had sued Winston for unpaid debt in what she saw as a clear case of identity theft. She couldn’t afford an attorney so she defended herself. What followed was months of tripping through a bewildering legal maze.

Terry Winston

Photographer: Gabriela Bhaskar/Bloomberg

“You’re finding yourself trying to know what question to ask,” said Winston, a 53-year-old medical ...