Law man aims to bring justice to all

Paul Bowler outside his new Foremark premises in Church Street

Foremark has been opened in Church Street as a community interest company with a brief of offering legal aid style services at reduced cost.

It is the brain child of Paul Bowler who is a retired legal executive who has lived in Blackpool for 18 years.

He said the idea came following the Government’s changes to the legal aid system which restricted people’s access to the service for various instances.

He said: “I have been in the legal sector all my life and am now retired.

“I did not want to stop working and simply watch daytime TV or sit in the pub.

“I wanted to keep busy and do something useful and help the local community.

“It is all about empowerment law. We specialise is such things as housing issues, benefits, civil disputes consumer issues and family matters.

“The going rate for a solicitor is in the region of £220 plus VAT.

“That may be all right for big business or the well paid but it can be a weeks wages for some people.

“As a result many people are excluded from recourse to the law which I feel is unfair.

“We have done quite a bit of work on a pro bono basis for people in the area and knwo the kind of issues Blackpool tends to have.”

Paul said Foremark was the trading name of the community interest company Fylde Probitas CIC.

He said that all the profits made were going to be donated to children’s charities.

He added: “The aim is to offer a prompt and reliable service in all aspects of legal help and financial services. As a CIC company we guarantee the cheapest rates.”