Impartial justice, accessible to all
🏆 Winner — 2026 Ingenuity Impact Inclusivity Prize, University of Nottingham
Last reviewed: August 2026 · For use in England & Wales · eLitigant is a Community Interest Company (No. 16566612), not a law firm and does not give legal advice.
This week, headlines announced that an artificial intelligence law firm had won a case in an English court — believed to be a first. As the Guardian reported, Garfield AI, a firm authorised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, did the legal work behind a successful £7,000 debt claim at Wandsworth County Court, with a human barrister handling the advocacy at trial.
It is a real milestone, and the people behind it deserve the credit. But strip away the “robot lawyer wins case” framing, and the story underneath is quieter — and far more important. This was never really about an AI winning. It is about a person who, for the first time, could afford to be heard at all.
The barrier was never your case. It was the cost.
For years the maths has been brutal. If you are owed a few thousand pounds, the cost and stress of going to court can outweigh anything you might recover. So people write the debt off, leave the unfair letter unanswered, or fail to defend a claim — not because they are in the wrong, but because the system feels too expensive, too slow and too intimidating to take on alone.
The barrier was never whether people had a case. It was whether they could afford to bring it. That is the barrier this technology is finally starting to remove.
We saw this coming in early 2025
We have been writing about this shift since early 2025, long before this week’s headlines. There is a name experts have given the moment: the Legal Singularity — the point at which AI legal assistance becomes good enough to fundamentally transform access to justice. That is the future we built eLitigant for.
What eLitigant does — and what it does not
So let us be clear, because the difference matters.
We do not promise to “win” your case. No honest tool can. eLitigant is not a law firm, and we do not run your case for you the way a regulated firm like Garfield does.
What we do is simpler, and for most people facing court alone it is exactly what they need: we help you prepare your own court documents. You stay in control. You remain the author. We take the stress, the jargon and the blank-page panic out of the way.
When you need a regulated firm — and when you do not
This week’s case used a regulated firm and a barrister, at a cost of around £400, and where a case genuinely needs that level of help, it is wonderful the option now exists.
But most people do not need someone to take over their case. They need help getting their documents right, so they can stand up for themselves with confidence. If you are a litigant in person — someone representing yourself without a solicitor — that is the gap eLitigant fills. Not winning for you. Helping you be heard.
Meet Chris — your court documents, made clear
Chris turns what you tell him into clear, professional documents. He can help you with:
- Starting or responding to a money claim
- Replying to a letter, notice or claim you have received
- Completing official court forms, box by box, in plain English
- Drafting witness statements and document bundles
Facing a court deadline, a money claim, or a letter you do not know how to answer? You do not have to do the paperwork alone.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use AI to help with my court case in the UK?
Yes. There is nothing to stop a litigant in person from using software to help prepare their own documents, just as you might use software to help prepare your own tax return. You remain responsible for checking and filing what you submit. eLitigant helps you produce the documents; the case remains yours.
Do I need a solicitor to make a small claim?
No. The small claims process in England and Wales is designed to be used without a lawyer. Many people represent themselves successfully. What trips people up is usually the paperwork and the deadlines, which is exactly what Chris is built to help with.
What is a litigant in person?
A litigant in person is someone who brings or defends a court case without being represented by a solicitor or barrister. If you are handling your own claim or defence, that is you — and you have the right to do it.
How much does it cost to take someone to court for money they owe?
There is a court fee to issue a claim, set by HM Courts and Tribunals Service and based on the amount you are claiming; the current bands are published in the official EX50 fee list. If paying that fee would be difficult, you can apply for help with fees online before you pay — and if you have already paid, you can still apply and ask for it back, provided you apply within three months and you qualified at the time. Help with fees is granted per fee, so a later step in the same case is assessed again. Beyond the court fee, your main cost is your own time, because you prepare and file the documents yourself.
Is eLitigant a law firm?
No. eLitigant CIC is a non-profit Community Interest Company, not a law firm, and does not give legal advice. We provide document-drafting tools and guidance; you remain the litigant in person and the author of your documents.
What court forms can Chris help with?
Common ones include claim forms, defences, the N244 application notice and the N260 statement of costs, along with witness statements and bundles. Chris explains each box in plain English so you know what is being asked and why.
eLitigant CIC — a non-profit Community Interest Company (No. 16566612).