Get The Facts About A Bail Bondsman

Learning that someone in your family has been arrested can be a traumatic experience. That experience gets much worse if it is determined that you have to worry about the expenses involved in getting them out on bail. A bail bond business should be your first step upon hearing that bail has been set. Your bail bonds person will know how the system works, but it will be really helpful if you spend some time on your own to become better educated on the subject of bail.

If a bail amount has been set, the person who was arrested can be free during the time between the arrest and the trial. However, this only applies if they can find someone to post bail for them. This involves the use of a bail bondsman. You typically only have to post a small percentage of the total bail. However, the person who posts the bail is responsible for a much larger amount if the accused decides to leave town. For this reason, you need to be very sure that you are willing to post bail for someone before you take that step and sign the papers.

You should be aware of the laws related to what the bail bondsman can charge you before you start speaking with them. The laws related to this are usually set by each state individually. For example, in the state of California, the bondsman is only allowed to collect 10% of the entire amount of the bond. Once you know what the legal amount is, you should never negotiate with the bondsman. Whether they are offering you a discount or they are trying to charge you more money, it is completely illegal. Their fee is exactly 10%.

Most bondsmen will only accept cash or major credit cards when they are collecting the fee. A direct money transfer will usually work these days as well. Occasionally, you may find a bondsman who is willing to let you finance part or the fee.

The conditions for setting up a payment plan are very similar to getting any other type of a loan. First of all, you will have to prove to them that you are financially stable. If there is any question in their mind about your ability to pay the remaining installments, you will very quickly be rejected. You should also know that if your bail bondsman does allow financing options, they are not legally allowed to charge you any interest. Owning your own home is a huge benefit when you are trying to set up a financing option. It proves that in a worst case scenario, you do have the funds in your home that could pay them. You always hear about how important it is to have a good credit history and this is another example. If your credit history shows a long list of late payments or debts that have never been paid, you are not likely to get a financing option from your bail bondsman. The length of time you have been with your current employer, the time of crime and the history of the person who was arrested will also be factors that are considered.