Getting arrested for a minor crime can be the worst thing to happen. Going to jail is never a good experience for anyone. Most times, the fault is petite, and the jail time can be too much. Also, the misery that comes after spending a specific time behind bars is irreplaceable. Keeping this empty feeling in mind, if your relative or a dear friend is currently behind bars and needs your help in getting out and about their everyday life, bail can be something you can confide in.
No matter why your loved is behind bars, your main priority would be getting them out safely. Sometimes, the police can get the wrong idea from an average citizen, but most times, the disrupt is caused by the person sent to jail. However, evicting them may not be the easiest thing to do. The police enforcement systems vary state by state, and when somewhere the rules can be bent a little, most places run strict regulations for the smallest offend against the law.
Although, as citizens, we have to be careful not to mess with rules and regulations, sometimes, things can get out of hand. For those times when a loved one goes to jail, not having enough cash in bail can be a big problem and extend their stay. Instead of going around asking for help with exceptionally high bail amounts, bail bonds can be a better option. Follow on to find more about them in detail:
What is a Bail Bondsman?
A bail bonds agent is a person who can provide you with the total bail amount for you to get a loved one out of jail. He/she is one that offers the prison with the amount on your loved one’s head and makes sure that they get out of jail without hassle. The bail amount that a bondsman or a bail bonds company provides is called a surety bond. While other techniques you use to pay by yourself are cash bonds or property bonds, depending on whichever method you tend to repay with.
Finding and hiring a bail bond agent may be your priority right now, but before you go into the process, you must understand the procedure and what comes with becoming the trust-bearer for the bail. This time may be necessary for your friend in jail but make sure that you are not getting yourself in trouble too.
Steps for Hiring a Bail Bond
Hiring a bail bond agent or agency may seem tranquil, but if not done right, it can be the worst decision made. Several in the business will give you good advice and easily partner up with you for clearing your friend from jail. But as this is a profession with a lot of gains, many bail bondsman can try to take from you. They may demand money or ask you to keep property collateral. In either case, if your friend tends to miss court day, all of the amount or collateral is taken away from you. You need to understand your loved behind bars can be rescued by just bail or not by any other means. And if the bondsman tries to convince you otherwise, don’t get trapped.
Look towards the following to identify the steps in hiring a bail bondsman and what to look for in a bail agency:
What to Look For in a Bail Bondsman
Bailing people out of jail comes with great responsibility, and not everyone can take over such a duty. In this task, the person bailing someone from jail becomes responsible for them showing up in court and providing the amount in full. For this reason, bail bond agents exist and help take some of the responsibility on them and handle the case for the bailed person and the one who approaches them – in this case, you.
Although getting a bail bond agent is convenient and relieving to handle the bailing process, but it can be totally out of sight when you choose a trustworthy agency or agent to conduct the task. Look for the following things for hiring a bail bondsman who can handle your case professionally:
Cost
The cost of a bail bondsman is determined by deducting their fees from the amount acquired for bailing out your loved one. The bail amount set by the judge taking your friend’s case is the one that you need to obtain from your bail bondsman. Make sure to tell the agent about the amount in full and not miss anything. Identify how much your friend needs to get out of jail quickly to get it from the bail bond agent.
Getting the Bail Amount
Before you acquire your bail amount form the agent, you need to get a few answers questioned and get to know your agent well. This can help in becoming satisfied and diminishing all worries associated with bail bonds. A trustworthy bail bonds agency will happily answer all your questions and help you out with any inconsistencies in registering with them. In addition to that, they must also be willing to provide you with licenses and other documentation of their registered work and ethics. They must have back up that they are a part of the Better Business Bureau or a similar scheme that authenticates them.
Dealing with Officers
Police officers are not all uptight and tightlipped; most of them can be friendly and helpful once you get talking to them and provide your concerns. They can also guide you to good bail bondsman companies and provide referrals that can help you lower the amount. So you need to make sure to stay on their good sides and advice your friends to do the same behind bars as they can become an easy way out for them. These law enforcers can also guide to effective ways out of court and jail to not deal with embarrassments or awkward situations.
Consult a Lawyer
Another professional that can be your right-hand man in resolving the case by bail for your loved one can be your lawyer. Hiring a lawyer alongside getting a bail bond agent can confirm an overall win when chances look slim. In fact, hiring the lawyer prior to getting bail bonds can be a smart move as the attorney can give you referrals on reliable bail bonds company and a discount. Bail bondsman hired through a defense attorney can assure up to 8% reduction in bail money. If you don’t need a lawyer, you can still consider the discount by a referral from an attorney.
Read Reviews
This is the advice that goes without saying before hiring any kind of service, especially when it concerns someone’s life on stake. Reading reviews on different bail bondsman can not only help you assure that the agent or the agency is reliable and trustworthy but also check how people’s experiences went with them. The best bail bonds companies will provide full closure with also keeping your information confidential. When an agency has a website and reviews on it, these can be all you need to trust in it and make your decision.
Acquire Cheap Prices
When looking for a bail bonds company, an important thing can be getting that bang for your buck. This means that you pay for what you get, and what you pay isn’t a lot. It would help if you asked the agency or agent about their fee, which is 10% of the total amount or less depending on the state or company. You can get this fee to lower as many agents can be indulged in negotiating. The law doesn’t set this amount, so you can ask for a discount or search for cheaper options available. However, try not to be fascinated by affordable bonds advertisements as most of such compiles are untrustworthy and shady to conduct business with.
Things Not to Do When Hiring a Bail bondsman
It never hurts to be careful in making big life decisions and involving yourself in a criminal case committed by your friend. Being a good friend on one side, you should always choose a bail bond with expertise and experience in handling a courtroom case. The following are some things you should be careful of when getting bail from a bond dealer:
Don’t Provide collateral
Allowing a bail bondsman to hold an asset of yours in collateral for bailing out your loved one can be a mistake. Most states don’t even refer you to do that, so make sure with your area first. If a bail bond agent demands collateral in terms of a house or vehicle, make sure they are legit. Providing collateral can be a bad option all in all, and it’s best to get some money in the loan than keeping assets on hold.
Confirm Company Credentials
Several companies will provide you information about their legitimate business and other credentials, but can they still be trusted? It’s better not to indulge in any kind of agency until you remove your doubts yourself. You must research on your own and check if the certificates that the company supplied you are real and registered with the government.
Signing the Fine Print without Reading
Everyone knows how big a mistake it can be when some crucial papers are signed without providing a look. The same goes for signing bail bonds papers. These documents include all the information regarding your friend’s arrest and bail and the amount for it. Make sure to read the whole thing before signing as it can be overlooking some important details that you may like to add.
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