2 Questions You May Have About Financing A Bond When Posting Bail For A Loved One

After receiving a call from a loved one who was arrested, you may have decided to help them by posting bail to get them out of jail until their court date. After calling the jail, they may have given you information so you can contact a bail bonding service to get the process started.

If this is your first time posting bail for someone, you may not know exactly what is expected of you when it comes to paying for it. Below are answers to a couple of questions you may have about financing a bond when you need to post bail to help your loved one get out of jail.

1. Do You Have to Pay the Bondsman the Entire Balance of the Posted Bail Amount?

One question you may have about posting bail for someone who was arrested has to do with what you need to pay upfront. You may worry that you will have to pay the full amount and will be unable to post bail because you do not have the money readily available.

However, when you go through a bondsman, you will not have to pay the full posted bail amount. Instead, the bonding service will request a small percentage at an amount that is mandated by your state. You can call the bondsman before you go to find out the exact percentage required by them and state regulations.

2. What Can You Do If You Do Not Have the Full Amount of Money to Give to the Bondsman?

Another question you may have has to do with your options if you do not have the money to pay the percentage required to post bail. Even though the payment will be considerably less than the actual bail amount, you may not have access to that amount of money.

Fortunately, if you do not have the money to pay the percentage of the bail amount required, the bondsman will have options available. Two common options are putting up collateral for the bail, such as your home's deed or a car title, as well as requesting financing through a payment plan agreed upon between you and the bail service.

When you have a loved one who has asked that you post bail so they can get out of jail, going through a bondsman service can help streamline the process. To post the bail through the service, you can either pay the percentage of the court-ordered amount or arrange for alternative methods, such as putting up collateral or agreeing to a payment plan. For more information about the requirements for your area, contact a bail bonds service, like Valencia Bail Bonds.