It is never ideal to be detained while awaiting court proceedings after being charged with a crime. In addition to being away from your family, friends, and loved ones, you will probably end up missing out on your job. But if you choose to post bail, you can circumvent this restriction before the trial.
A judge determines how much bail you must post as a pledge to appear at all of your scheduled court hearings. Many people are unable to pay the bail cost, which often is a significant amount, for example, over a thousand dollars.
You still have options even in this situation. A non-refundable fee, which is sometimes about 10% of the total bail amount, is charged by bail bond companies to assist persons in obtaining a bail bond. It’s advisable to think about a few questions and know a few things before determining if you should hire a particular bail bondsman in order to prevent being taken advantage of.
In this article, we’ll mention some things you must know before hiring a bail bondsman.
Only Hire a Licensed Bail Bondsman
Hiring a bail bondsman is oftentimes a necessity, but this doesn’t mean you hire anyone without verifying them or the agency they work for. Make sure you only hire a bail bondsman that has a valid license and is reliable to work with. Also, make sure the license of the bail agent and the bail bond agency is valid in the state you’ve been charged. For example, in Indiana, a bail bondsman must’ve completed at least 12 hours or more of bail and pre-recovery education. You can check the rest of the requirements for bail agent licensing for Indiana and make sure your bail agent and the bail bond agency adhere to all of them.
Hire an Experienced Bail Bondsman
Hiring a bail agent that has been in this field and has years of experience is always a better choice. Experienced bail bondsman knows every little detail and can figure out your case better. The probability of any mistake or missing paperwork is also largely eliminated because experienced bail bondsmen know what they are doing and what’s required in court.
Cost of Bail Bonds
In general, bail bond agencies or agents charge 10 percent of the bail amount set by the judge to get you out of prison before your trial hearings. However, there is no certain law that restricts the agencies from charging more.
It’s advisable to look around and check multiple licensed bail agents and bail agencies to get the best service and prices and avoid being taken advantage of because of your situation.
If someone is offering a surprisingly low fee, for example, 5 percent, or even lower, this might be a scam. Do a thorough background check of the agency and the bail agent before hiring such services if you plan to do so.
Payment Method
Make sure you ask the bail agency what payment options are there for you. A reliable bail bond agency will always offer their clients multiple payment options, including paying through major credit cards, like MasterCard or Visa, paying in cash, writing a check, etc. Some agencies also provide financing options that can ease the burden on their client and allow payment in a few installments.
Be Vary of Fake Claims
If a bail agent claims they can get you out of prison in a shorter amount of time or in any way influence the bail processing time, this could be a red flag. This is because a bail agent has no influence whatsoever on when you’ll be released from prison. All that is required of a bail agent is to post the bail amount and present the necessary documents and get the process of getting bail started. What’s in a bail agent’s control is the paperwork they have to submit in court. The faster they do it on their end, the faster your bail application can be started. After that, it depends upon the judge and judicial system who’ll process your bail request to get you out of prison.
Oftentimes, some bail agents also claim they can get the bail amount reduced. There’s little truth to it and it’s highly unlikely a person’s bail amount will get changed from what the judge has determined.
Get a Licensed Bail Bondsman in Hamilton County
If you’re looking for a licensed bail bondsman or a bail bond agency, DeLaughter Bail Bonds is your best bet. We have 24 hour bail bondsman available to assist you at any time in multiple areas, including Hamilton County, Wabash County, Wayne County, Fulton County, and more. Contact us now to know more about our services.
About the Author
Emma John is a licensed bail bondsman in Indiana and has been associated with DeLaughter Bail Bonds for the last 3 years. Emma helps clients get bail and makes the bail process easy for them so that they can get back to their loved ones before the beginning of their trial.
Disclaimer: This article is only intended for educational purposes and shouldn’t be used as a substitute for legal advice.