New Delhi: The long-running debate over whether ‘can AI replace lawyers’ has gained global recognition with the first-ever fully artificial-intelligence (AI)-powered law firm, Garfield AI, making headlines by winning its first case in the United Kingdom, representing a freelancer in a case worth £7000, approximately Rs 8.8 lakh.
The constant anxiety regarding the use of AI and its regulations in the legal profession has made this case particularly concerning for legal professionals.
The UK-based chatbot firm was co-founded by former City Litigator Philip Young and Quantum Physicist Daniel Long in 2023. In April 2025, the UK-based platform became the first Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)-approved, AI-driven law firm in April 2025 that can handle civil claims from £30 up to £10,000.
Garfield AI helped the freelancer recover worth £7000 of her unpaid debts, by preparing the case and then hiring a human barrister to advocate for the client in court. The firm also independently drafted four witness statements, case bundles, and all legal arguments to represent their client.
More importantly, the AI firm defeated a retaliatory claim launched by the defendant and won the case against its human opponent.
The dispute involved freelancer Tamires Camal Taquidir, who provided human resources (HR) services to a hospitality business. After she attempted to resolve the fee issue with her employer, she turned to Garfield’s platform to draft her pre-action letters and issue proceedings. When the defendant responded with a counterclaim and instructed solicitors, the case went to trial.
Garfield’s technology handled the bulk of the work throughout the trial, from disclosure documents to witness statements and trial preparation. The firm then instructed a human barrister, Dominic Li of One Essex Court, to present the case in court.
Taquidir instructed the chatbot to draft legal letters and submit her case before a three-hour trial at Wandsworth County Court, which involved seven separate witnesses, reported The Telegraph.
The Irish Legal News website reported that, after a three-hour hearing in May, the court ruled entirely in favour of the freelancer and dismissed the defendant’s counterclaim.
“Garfield AI has won its first trial, against a firm of human solicitors who instructed Counsel. It wasn’t a simple small claim trial either – not a one-hour hearing followed by an ex tempore judgment, but rather a three-hour trial with numerous witnesses, extensive cross-examination and then a reserved judgment. Garfield’s user not only won her claim but defeated the defendant’s counterclaim.
This is the first trial ever won by an AI lawyer against human opposition, anywhere, ever. It’s the dawn of a new age of access to justice”, CEO and co-founder of the firm, Young posted on LinkedIn.
Barrister Dominic Li, who represented the claimant in court, told The Guardian how the experience showed him that while AI can help prepare a case at a fraction of the cost, the “advocacy that wins a contested trial is still done by a human on their feet in court”.
Daniel Long, CTO and Co-Founder of Garfield AI posted on social media about it. “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. 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”.
The firm says it has now processed more than 600 claims and recovered around £500,000 for clients, with claim values ranging from £30 to £10,000.
(Edited by Harini Ts)
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