From the outset of the dispute through to the courtroom doorstep, Garfield AI handled the entire pre-trial process, taking responsibility for drafting court documents, preparing witness statements, and compiling the trial bundles required for the hearing.

Such services only cost Taquidir around £400 ($750).

Once the matter reached trial, Garfield AI instructed junior barrister Dominic Li of One Essex Court to represent Taquidir in court, handing over the case shortly before proceedings commenced.

He praised the way Garfield handled the matter, saying the AI platform prepared and presented the client’s case “clearly and efficiently”, while emphasising that “advocacy at trial remained essential and a fundamentally human exercise”.

Following a three-hour hearing at Wandsworth County Court on 14 May, the court ruled in Taquidir’s favour, ordering that the outstanding debt be repaid and delivering what is believed to be a landmark courtroom victory for an AI-powered legal service.

The co-founder of Garfield, Philip Young, described the ruling as a “landmark moment” for expanding access to justice, arguing it could open the door for individuals and small businesses that are often priced out of pursuing legitimate claims through traditional legal channels.

“This is a landmark moment, not just for Garfield AI, but for access to justice. For too long, businesses have been forced to write off debts because the cost, time, and stress of litigation made pursuing them uneconomic,” Young said.

“Here, a freelancer who had done the work and not been paid was able to take her case all the way to trial, resist a counterclaim, and win. That is exactly why Garfield exists.”

Young added that “AI did not replace the judge, the barrister, or the legal system. What it did was make the process more accessible, more efficient, and more affordable, so that a meritorious claimant could get to the point where her case could be heard and justice could be done.”

Authorised and regulated by the UK’s Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) last year, Garfield AI was established to help individuals and small businesses pursue low-value disputes ranging from £30 to £10,000 (approximately $50 to $19,000).

Daniel Long, the CTO and co-founder of Garfield AI, noted that the case highlighted the growing potential of AI-powered legal services to help individuals and businesses enforce their rights when the conventional legal route is too expensive, time-consuming, or complex.

“This case shows what legal AI can do in the real world. It is not about gimmicks or replacing lawyers. It is about giving people and businesses the tools to enforce their rights when the traditional route would be too slow, too costly, or too complex,” Long said.

“We are still at the beginning of this journey, but the momentum is already clear. This trial win is an important proof point: regulated AI-powered legal services can help real people recover real money through the courts.”

This article was originally published on Lawyer's Weekly.