When someone you love gets arrested, that can be scary and frustrating. If the judge sets bail, you want to be able to get your loved one out of jail as fast as possible.
However, in many cases, bail is so high that it’s impossible to pay on your own; in those cases, a bail bonds company can be essential.
Before you call a bail bonds company, however, there are a few things you should know. Ideally, you should have the following information on hand before calling.
1. Understanding of How Bail Works
To navigate the process, it helps to have a basic understanding of how bail works. Basically, the courts use bail as an insurance plan that the arrested person will return for their trial. If the crime is minor, bail tends to be low. If the crime is serious or if the courts worry about the individual leaving the area, bail will be high. Once bail is posted, the individual can leave until their court date.
2. The Type of Bail
There are a few different types of bail bonds, and you need to know what type of bond the courts have requested. Unfortunately, if the courts have requested a cash bond, you can’t work with a bond company. That type of bond can only be posted by the arrested person or someone close to them, and the funds must be in cash or a certified money order.
If the bond is a surety bond, you can work with a bail bonds company. In these cases, you pay the bail bonds company a percentage of the bail amount plus a flat fee, and the bail bonds company covers the rest of the amount. Note that in these cases you do not get a refund of the payment. That money covers the bail company’s services and overhead.
There are also property bonds. That is when you are allowed to use a property deed to satisfy the bail amount. If you own home or land, you can use that, and in some cases, you can also work with a bail bonds company. Different companies have different rules concerning this type of bail.
3. The Amount of Bail
You also need to know exactly how much the bail is. If possible, you may want to figure out how much the bail bonds company charges. That way, you can figure out your costs before making the call, and you can plan how you are going to pay. Most bail bond companies accept cash and credit cards.
4. Details About the Arrested Person
Once you pay the fee, the bail bonds company will dispatch the payment to the jail immediately. However, for that to be possible, the company needs some basic information about the person who has been arrested.
You need the person’s full name, the crime they have been accused of, and their booking number. You also need the name of the correctional institute. If you don’t have the booking number, you can get that by calling the jail directly.
5. Information About the Bail Bonds Company
You may also want to have some information about the bail bonds company before you contact them. In particular, you often need a notary to help with bonds, and to make that easier, you may want to work with a bail bonds company that has a notary on site. You may also want to work with a company that provides shuttle service to their facility. That can be helpful if you don’t have reliable transportation.
At AA Best Bail Bonds, we are ready to work with you during your difficult time. We have years of experience posting bail for people, and we also offer a notary on site and shuttle service for our clients. Contact us today.