Here's How Bail Bonds Actually Work

After being arrested for a crime, you'll be taken to court for the judge to decide whether you are eligible for bail or not. If you are eligible for bail, the court determines the bail amount depending on the level of crime. There are several methods you could use to settle the bail. You could pay cash, place collateral, or seek the services of bail bondsmen. If you seek the services of a bail agent, you will need to provide certain information before you are granted bail. The bail bonds company could request your exact location, your full name, and booking number, and the agent's bail amount to settle. The bail bond agents will then charge you a non-refundable fee of 10-20% of the bail amount. Once you pay the bail agent their fee, they pay the court the surety bond to get you released. If you attend all court proceedings, the bail bonds company does not charge you any more fees. However, if you skip bail, the court will keep the bail money the bond dealers gave them. The bail agent follows the family and friends that signed the bail bond on your behalf to settle their loss. A bail bond is an agreement made between an arrested person and the court that they appear in court for the trial. Bail bondsmen, or bond agents, submit the written agreement to the court and a commitment to pay the bail amount. If the defendant fails to appear in court for the trial, the bail bondsmen pay the bail in full on their behalf. Most bail bondsmen charge about 10% of the defendant's bail amount to submit a bail bond agreement. The bail bondsman may also charge extra fees that total up to 8% of the bail. Some bail bondsmen also require a statement of creditworthiness and securities or property collateral like houses, cars, and jewelry before signing the bail bond agreement. A bail bond agent can be a bail bond company or attorney. Most people opt for bail bond companies because the amount they need to pay is significantly reduced. Moreover, the collateral is only used when the defendant fails to appear in court. But if they attend all court hearings, the bail bonds company faces no threat. It returns the collateral after the final hearing. If you found this information interesting, click the link above to learn more about bail bonds.