How Does It Work To Get A Bail Bond?

Law Blog

Have you received a call from a friend or family member saying that they are in jail and need someone to get them out? You'll have two options for bail money, which are paying it yourself or using a bondsman. Here is how you can expect it to work when getting a bail bond.

Contact A Bondsman

The first step is to contact a bondsman in your area that can help you out. You'll need to know the jail that the person is being held at to give it to the bondsman, who is then able to look up the person that is in jail. They can verify the bond amount that needs to be paid, and assess the person's chance of not returning to court. This will determine if a bondsman will want to help you out or not. If the person seems like too big of a flight risk, the bondsman may decide to pass on your request or require a bigger premium.

Sign A Contract

You'll need to sign a contract with the bail bondsman in order to move forward with the process of getting a bail bond. This contract spells out the terms of the agreement for what premium will be paid, what your responsibilities are as the person signing for the bail bond, and the potential consequences if the person does not return to court. It is also common to pay the premium for the bail bond at this time. 

If you've been working with the bondsman over the phone, this contract signing may happen at the jail or at their office. If you are required to provide collateral, you will do this at the time of the contract signing.

Release The Person From Jail

The bail bondsman will do the work of contacting the jail, posting the bail money, and getting the person released from jail. This will likely take a small amount of time to do, so be patient when working with the bondsman. A lot of paperwork needs to be done by the local jail to release your friend or family member. 

Return Of Collateral

The contract with the bondsman is not finished until the person that is accused of a crime has completed their trial. If they are found guilty they will be sentenced and the bond will be released along with your collateral. If they are found not guilty, then there is no sentencing and the bond is released immediately. 

For more information, contact a company like Bail House Bail Bonds.

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5 October 2022

Knowing Your Legal Rights Can Help You Greatly in Life

Like many people, I once found learning about law very intimidating. My brother went to law school and I remember glancing through a few of his books and wondering if I was actually reading English due to all of the legal jargon in them! However, when I ended up in a sticky legal situation due to accidentally breaking a small law I didn't know existed, I realized that I needed to learn more about the law, so I could make sure to follow it precisely in the future. My brother helped to break down some complicated legal concepts to me, and I have since been studying up online. I want to post what I have learned and continue to learn about law in the future on my new blog, so my knowledge cannot only help myself, but also help others!