Preliminary reports in California, where the total number of nonfamily civil suits for more than $25,000 declined by 8 percent last year, the portion of plaintiffs without a lawyer rose by 22 percent, while defendants representing themselves rose by 36 percent, according to Ronald M. George, the chief justice of California’s Supreme Court.

Even though the number of disputes may be on the rise in the economic downturn as people clash with their landlords, creditors and others, Judge George perceives a reluctance to go to court because of the expense.

“People aren’t going to court as much anyway because they can’t afford counsel,” he said. “But those that are proceeding are more likely to represent themselves.”

The best evidence of the increase in self-representation could come from individual courthouses, where the shift is evident in growing lines at self-help centers like the one in Superior Court in San Francisco. Tracy Penny, who was filing for divorce, waited there on a bench in the hallway last week to get help with her paperwork.

“I didn’t think I would need” a lawyer, Ms. Penny said. But, “money was a factor.”

In Travis County, Tex., which includes Austin, the number of unrepresented people seeking help from lawyers on the courthouse staff jumped more than 10 percent in 2008. And in Superior Court in Atlanta, the number of people calling the court’s family law information center for help with their cases rose by nearly 1,500 in 2008, to 22,590.

Ms. Barros, who used to work at a call center before she was laid off in September, got some help from a San Francisco bar association program that offers advice on coping with debt collection. She did not try to hire a lawyer; too costly, she said, and not necessary.