A Few Things You Must Know Before Bailing Someone Out Of Jail

If someone you love has been arrested, they will be detained at the detention center until the court can determine whether they are guilty or innocent. However, it is possible the judge will allow a detainee to be released until their court date if someone pays bail for them. Bail is an amount of money the court holds onto to ensure the person arrested shows up for their court date. Sometimes the bail amount is not very large and you can pay it readily. However, depending on the crime they are accused of committing, the bail can be quite high. In this case, you may need to talk with a surety bail bondsman who will pay the bail so your loved one can be released. The thing is, there is more to getting a bail bond than simply asking for one. Here are some important things you need to understand before trying to get one.

Bond Fee

Every bondsman charges a fee for writing the bond. This amount is a percentage of the whole amount of the bail. In most cases, the bond fee will be 10 to 15 percent of the bail. In other words, if bail was set at $100,000 you will need to pay the bond company $10,000. This money is not refunded to you whether the detainee shows up to court or not. It is also not refunded if the person is found innocent. If you do not have enough money for the bond fee you may be able to make some type of payment arrangement to pay it over time. 

Collateral

When the bail fee is high, the bondsman may also require you to put up something as collateral for it if the person does not show up for court. This could be a vehicle, real estate, or something of high value. Keep in mind that if your loved one does not show up for court you will have to turn the collateral over to the bond company. Make sure you know the person is going to go to court. You may want to keep tabs on them and take them to court personally. Once they show up for court, the lien on the collateral will be stopped and you will not have to worry about losing anything.

As long as you have the funds to pay the bond fee and are sure your loved one will show up for court, go ahead and help them get out of jail. This gives them the chance to continue to work to make money and pay you back for the bond fee. It also allows them to get their life in order if the chances are good that they will be found guilty and have to serve time in jail.

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