Hiring a bail bondsman is not something anyone ever plans on having to do, so when you suddenly find yourself in need of such a service, you can often go into it without a lot of knowledge about the right way to go about it, or you might have expectations that won't match up with reality. It is possible for a bail bond service to get you out of jail quickly, but you should use a measured pace yourself and do a little bit of research on the bail bondsman you are about to hire before you move forward. Here are some tips to keep in mind if you need to hire a bail bonds service for the first time.
Don't Hire a Bail Service That Is Not Properly Licensed
When hiring a bail bonds service, you will want to see on their website or through some other method that they are properly licensed. Finding a random guy online who offers to show up to the jail and post bail is not the same as hiring a licensed bail bond agent. In fact, the court may reject your bail arrangement if it is discovered that the bondsman you are using is not licensed.
The Cost of the Bail Bond Is Set By the State, Not the Bail Service
Different states may require different percentages to be paid on a cash bail depending on the crime. But you will find that states set 10 percent as the amount of the bail bond in many cases. Keep in mind that if the bail bond service is telling you that this is the amount you have to pay, it's because they are complying with a state law that is ordering this. In other words, this percentage is not being set by the bail bond service itself and it's not negotiable — it's the law.
Your Bondsman Will Get You Out as Soon as They Can, But There's No Magic Wand
Almost all bail bond services will have at least one bondsman available 24/7. But just because someone answers the phone, that does not mean the bail service can get you out immediately. The bail service will have to wait until the police or the jail processes you, and in some cases you may have to wait until a court processes the case as well. Your bail bondsman will move quickly to get you out ASAP, but there's no magic wand or snap of the fingers to make the process faster than the law will allow.
