Taking someone to small claims court involves five main steps: send a Letter Before Action giving them 14-30 days to pay, file your claim using the N1 form (online with Garfield or by post) with supporting evidence, wait for the defendant to respond within 14 days (they can admit, defend, or ignore), prepare for a hearing if they defend by organising all your evidence, and attend the informal 30-60 minute hearing before a district judge. If you win, the court orders them to pay the debt, court fees, fixed legal costs, and interest, though you may need enforcement action if they still don't pay.
Garfield automates this entire process by generating and sending the Letter Before Action, preparing and filing all court forms, tracking deadlines and responses, and providing hearing preparation support. This makes debt recovery simple without legal expertise or hours of paperwork.