3 Things You Should Know Before Hiring A Bail Bond Agency

It can be frustrating to get your loved one out of jail, especially when you are new to how bail bonds work. Most people have a hard time acquiring and paying the complete bond amount upfront. Therefore, bail bonds agency services could be invaluable under such circumstances.

You should know important information about the defendant before reaching out to the agency. Knowing the defendant's full name, the jail location, bail amount, and booking number will help the bail agent facilitate the process smoothly. Below is some more useful information to know before contacting a bail bond agency.

You Can't Get Back Your Bail Bond Fees

Before you get bail for your loved one, you need to understand you cannot get back your bail bond fees once the process is completed. Typically, you are refunded your bail money whether the defendant is convicted or cleared of the charges. However, this applies to instances when the entire bail is paid without the use of licensed bail bonds.

If you use a bail bond, the agency will get back their total amount, but you can't receive the bail fees, which amount to roughly 10% of the entire bail amount. If losing this money could land you in financial trouble, you may seek other options of getting your loved one from jail.

You Assume Duty to Indemnify 

After securing a bail bond, you have to agree to an indemnity agreement which means you take responsibility for all of the defendant's actions while they are on bail. If the defendant is arrested while on bail, you will pay for the total bail amount.

Should they miss a day in court or flee upon release, you'll forfeit any collateral or money you provided to bail the defendant out of jail. Once you sign this agreement, the bail bonds agency is no longer responsible for any financial losses incurred from bailing the person.

You Agree to Tracking the Defendant

Even after posting bail, the defendant still has to show up during their court hearing. The court allows the defendant to attend future proceedings while outside jail, but they have to make an appearance as instructed.

If the accused fails to show up for their hearing, their bail is forfeited, and the court retains any property or money offered to bail them. Should this happen, the bond agent has the right to track down the accused and bring them to police custody. Since the bail agent may lose money if the accused forfeits bail, they may use a bounty hunter to find the defendant.

For more information, contact a bail bonds agency, such as Steele Boys Bail Bonds.

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