Table of contents:
GARFIELD AI BECOMES FIRST SRA REGULATED LEGAL AI - UNLOCKING JUSTICE FOR SMES OWED BILLIONS
The Problem: £5.3bn+ in unpaid SME invoices
The Solution: the AI powered litigation assistant
Why now?
Responsible AI
A human story
For additional information
About Garfield AI
Breaking: UK's First SRA-Regulated Legal AI Platform Launches
The SRA has authorised Garfield, the world's first AI-powered litigation assistant, to help SMEs recover unpaid debts through the court system, marking a landmark moment for legal AI regulation.
4 min
GARFIELD AI BECOMES FIRST SRA REGULATED LEGAL AI - UNLOCKING JUSTICE FOR SMES OWED BILLIONS
London, Monday 5th May 2025 – The UK’s Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has authorised Garfield, the world’s first AI-powered litigation assistant designed to help small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) recover unpaid debts through the English and Welsh Court system.
Built by a team led by a senior City litigation lawyer and a quantum physicist, Garfield makes the small debt claim process accessible, fast and affordable, helping tens of thousands of businesses reclaim money they’re owed – without the complexity, cost or stress of traditional routes.
“UK SMEs lose billions each year to unpaid invoices,” said Philip Young, co-founder and CEO of Garfield. “Garfield fixes this. It gives every small business the tools to get paid – fairly, affordably and fast.”
The Problem: £5.3bn+ in unpaid SME invoices
Each year UK SMEs fail to recover billions of pounds of unpaid debts – often because pursuing claims under £10k is seen as too costly or time-consuming. The English small claims Court process is perceived as confusing and intimidating, especially for sole traders and smaller businesses.
“Garfield is intended to level the playing field,” said Mr. Young. “This is access to justice delivered through responsible AI.”
The Solution: the AI powered litigation assistant
Using Garfield, the claimant (or their representative) simply uploads the relevant information and authorises each step in the process and Garfield takes care of the rest, from creating letters before action, drafting the Claim Form and Particulars of Claim, to applying for default judgment, handling settlements and preparing for trial. The small claims process follows a defined series of steps, each needing to be
completed in a specific way. Garfield uses legal best practice to ensure all claims are prepared correctly and the claims process is followed (and tracked) precisely – significantly reducing errors and delays.
No software application like this has ever existed before. This is a world first.
Why now?
Garfield's authorisation by the SRA marks a landmark moment for legal AI in the UK. It is the first time an AI-powered legal platform has been regulated for delivering services directly. This demonstrates the SRA’s forward-thinking and commitment to the country’s twin growth and AI missions. Commenting on the SRA’s authorisation, Mr. Young said:
“The SRA’s thoroughness, thoughtfulness, and engagement during the authorisation process for Garfield has been extremely impressive. The SRA is now a world leader in promoting access to justice with AI.”
Garfield has received considerable interest from the senior judiciary, UK Government and Parliament. Speaking at the Civil Justice Council’s annual judicial conference in November 2024, Lord Justice Birss, the deputy head of civil justice, called attention to Garfield and said it is “absolutely at the core of what we can do for access to justice.” See his comments here. In February 2025 Garfield was presented to the Justice Select Committee in Parliament, who described it as “ground-breaking.”
Responsible AI
Garfield is designed with legal integrity as its core. Unlike generic legal chatbots, Garfield is built on domain-specific expert knowledge, modelled to follow the Civil Procedure Rules with precision and transparency.
"This is an ideal application for the latest advances in AI," said Daniel Long, the technical co-founder of Garfield. "It harnesses AI technology to read through various legal documents and guide users through the many precise steps of the court process – something that's simple in theory but complicated in practice."
Early adopters of Garfield include SMEs, law firms, accountancy firms and other professional services firms. Garfield also integrates into a law firm’s toolkit, giving solicitors a way to handle smaller debt claims profitably and at scale.
A human story
Garfield's original inspiration came from Andy King, a self-employed plumber who lives near Sheffield, and Mr. Young’s brother-in-law. Despite the success of his business, he occasionally encounters customers who cynically refuse to pay him for quality work completed in good faith. Mr. King said:
“As a small business owner, I have had occasions where customers did not pay their debts. These usually had to be written off as it is too costly and time consuming to chase these debts through the Courts. Many people know this so use it to get free labour and goods. Garfield is a game changer – an accessible system that is cost effective to use, allowing SMEs to recover money owed to them. In such a harsh business climate, it gives SMEs a fighting chance.”
For additional information
Please contact:
Philip Young
philip@garfield.digital
07946 353583
Daniel Long
dan@garfield.digital
07411 431019
About Garfield AI
Garfield is a web based, AI powered, legal assistant that guides a claimant (or their representative) through each case step of the small claims Court process for debt claims, up to trial.
Garfield AI’s mission is access to justice. To this end, it will be releasing a further suite of products over the coming year. It was founded by Philip Young, a London commercial litigation lawyer (formerly co-founding partner of “boutique” City law firm CYK), who also sits on the Advisory Committee of commercial litigation funder Winward, and Daniel Long, who quit his Ph. D. in quantum physics to go “all in” on Garfield. For more information, visit: https://garfield.digital.
About the Author
Hugo Rawling
Legal Engineer
