Working With A Local Bail Bondsman- What To Expect

There are many people who decide to get a bail bondsman in place of going through the court system with the hopes of being out before their case goes to trial and they are reunited with their family members. The option is usually more costly than going through the court. However, worth it for some people.

What to Expect

The first thing to expect is either being arrested or spending time in jail for the time allotted. It is important to have enough money on hand for the bail so it does not have to be requested from a family member. Many times family members are reluctant to help with bail if they know you are guilty.

It is also important to remember that an arrest usually means that you will need an attorney and this also costs money. If it’s a misdemeanor charge you could possibly avoid going through the court system by getting a plea bargain with the prosecutor, but again this costs money as well as possibly taking some time out of your schedule with travel arrangements, meetings with attorneys etc.

The main advantage to getting a local bail bondsman is that it can be done over the phone and usually is much cheaper than the court system. It usually only takes an hour, although there are always exceptions. An experienced bondman will be more likely to submit a lower bail rate, if needed.

To be fair, there are some cases where going through the court system is better than dealing with a bondsman as there are many people who do not want to be free after their arrest because of possible flight risks and other concerns. However, for most of the people being arrested there will not be problems putting up enough money for bail for most cases. It’s just a matter of knowing what is involved and where to go.

Overall, the best time to consider hiring a bondsman is when you are arrested and have already been in jail for some time. It is hard to know how much longer you will be held before your case goes to trial and there are many people who need bail before their case even goes to trial.

If you don’t want to wait until your arrest, but want bail money early on then getting a bondsman might be a good option. Most of them are very professional and usually don’t charge for their services upfront; as long as they believe you will be out on bail or at least by the trial date then they can submit a bond request that may get you out of jail in the shortest possible time.