Lawhive vs Garfield AI

Garfield AI is a self-serve service for recovering unpaid debts of up to £10,000 through the English small claims court, priced per document from £2. Lawhive matches you with a solicitor for a wider range of personal and business matters and gives a quote before work starts. Both use SRA-regulated entities in England and Wales.

Last updated 2026-10-20

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Every fact is taken from the firm's own website, an official register or the press report linked next to it, checked on 20 October 2026. Prices can change.

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Lawhive or Garfield AI: the short answer

Choose Garfield AI if you are a UK business chasing an unpaid invoice of up to £10,000 and want to run the claim yourself at published per-document prices. Choose Lawhive if you want a solicitor assigned to a broader matter, such as property, employment, a business contract or a dispute.

Garfield says it handles debt claims through the small claims track of the English County Court (source). Lawhive says it has 300+ lawyers covering areas including property, employment, family, immigration and small business (source).

Side by side

The two overlap only on business debts and disputes. Garfield is a narrow, document-by-document debt recovery service; Lawhive connects clients with human solicitors across many practice areas.

	Lawhive	Garfield AI
What it does	Connects clients with a solicitor for a matter and quotes the work. Lawhive says it combines licensed, regulated lawyers with its own AI. Source	AI that prepares and sends debt recovery documents, from a polite chaser to court forms and enforcement. Source
Who it serves	Individuals ("legal services for life's biggest moments") and small businesses, through a separate small business service. Home page, small business page	Sole traders and small businesses with unpaid invoices, plus bulk and enterprise users. Source
Country	UK (England and Wales). Lawhive also runs a separate US service. Source	England and Wales. Source
Pricing model	Its home page says work is either fixed fee or billed by the hour; its small business and litigation pages say each case gets a fixed-fee quote. Source	Fixed price per document from a published chart, excluding VAT. Court fees are separate. Source
Stated prices	On its small business page, Lawhive says independent legal advice on a transaction "can be as little as £199" and a GDPR policy "as little as £149". Source	Polite chaser £2; letter before action £7.50; claim form £50 to £100 depending on claim value (chart dated 16 September 2026). Source
Regulated status	Lawhive Ltd says it is not a law firm; its affiliate Lawhive Legal Ltd is authorised and regulated by the SRA (ID 8003766). Source	Garfield.Law Limited is authorised and regulated by the SRA (SRA number 8010904). Its FAQ says Garfield itself is not a solicitor or barrister but a machine learning legal assistant. Source
Funding	Fortune reports a $60M Series B led by Mitch Rales, less than a year after a $40M Series A. Source	The founder told Nonbillable that early funding came from private individuals. Source
Founded	2020, per Fortune. Source Lawhive Legal Ltd was incorporated on 9 February 2023. Companies House	Garfield.Law Limited was incorporated on 5 May 2023. Companies House

How they differ

They differ on scope, on who does the work and on how each sets the price. Garfield publishes a fixed price for each document and you drive the claim; Lawhive connects you with a solicitor and quotes each matter.

Garfield says it handles claims up to £10,000 in the English small claims court (source). Lawhive's litigation page lists disputes such as loan disputes and product liability claims alongside its other practice areas (source).

Garfield describes itself as an AI legal assistant within an SRA-regulated firm (source). Lawhive says it connects you with a solicitor for your case and gives a fixed fee for their services (source).

Garfield says some of its fees can be recovered from the debtor if you win, at or below the amounts the court allows (source). Lawhive says it gives a fixed-fee quote before work starts and says it is, on average, up to 50% cheaper than traditional firms for litigation (source).

Who each one fits

Garfield fits a business with clear unpaid invoices that wants a low, known cost per step. Lawhive fits someone who wants a solicitor to advise on and run a matter.

If the debt is over £10,000, Garfield's FAQ addresses that case separately, so check it before starting (source). If you are a sole trader whose matter mixes a debt with a contract or employment question, Lawhive's small business service covers those areas (source).

FAQ

Is Garfield AI a law firm?

Garfield.Law Limited is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA number 8010904). Its FAQ says Garfield itself is not a solicitor or a barrister but a machine learning legal assistant.

Is Lawhive a law firm?

Lawhive Ltd says it is not a law firm. Legal work is provided through its network, which includes its affiliate Lawhive Legal Ltd, authorised and regulated by the SRA (ID 8003766).

How much does Garfield AI cost?

Garfield's published chart lists £2 for a polite chaser, £7.50 for a letter before action and £50 to £100 for a claim form depending on claim value, excluding VAT and court fees (checked 20 October 2026).

Sources

Accessed 2026-10-20