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24 Jun, 2026 — Could an AI help you chase late payments?
AI-powered legal team wins court case against a late payer
Garfield AI, a platform we have included in our late payments resources, helped a freelancer win a county court case against a business that would not pay. A milestone moment for AI and access to justice?
Fantastic news this week which might be a huge positive for freelancers, a court case has been won against a late payer - where the legal team was powered by AI.
Garfield AI, which we've included in our resources for freelancers and late payments previously, is an online platform that helps businesses chase late payments. It helps you communicate with your client, and provides things like a Letter Before Action, rooted in proper law (rather than Chat GPT making things up).
And last month, a case powered by the Garfield AI team won against a business who were not paying a supplier. The AI did all the legal work before trial, including a disputing a counterclaim from the defendant. Whilst the actual case in court was fought by humans, the AI provided all the leg work, and gave the individual the confidence they'd win.
The claimant, a freelance HR consultant, recovered £7,000 in unpaid fees. She paid around £400 in Garfield AI fees to get there. The defendant instructed both a solicitor and a barrister, and still lost.
Is this a milestone moment for late payments? Could AI be another useful weapon in the fight against late payments? Is this is really powerful use of the technology? Or will we see companies fight AI against AI, as we see in job applications?
Time will tell, but it's worth being aware of another tool in your arsenal when fighting late payments.
You can find out more at Garfield AI or the Guardian's coverage of the news.
And our guide to tackling late payments is available here.