If you are planning on bailing someone out of jail, it is important that you fully understand the process of doing so. It is also important that you understand what happens if the person who you are bailing out does not abide by the rules imposed by the court. Here are some critical items that you need to know about bail bonds.
You Will Generally Pay a 10 Percent Premium
Whether you work with Hawaii State Bonding LLC. or another bond company, you will pay 10 percent of the bail amount as a premium. Therefore, if the bail were $100,000, you would pay $10,000 to obtain the bond. In some cases, this money will be paid back after the case is over. However, it is more likely that you won’t be refunded. In most cases, state law dictates what the premium amount is, which means that the bonding agent may not have the ability to negotiate a lower fee.
Bail Bondsmen May Require Collateral
Depending on the amount of the bond, it may be necessary to put up collateral to secure it. Accepted forms of collateral include bank accounts, the title to a home or car or anything else that can be easily liquidated. If the person who is being bailed out leaves town or otherwise fails to show up to court, that collateral could be lost.
You Can Pay the Bond Yourself
If you don’t want to risk losing your money or property to a third-party, you could choose to pay the bond yourself. This means that you are responsible for making sure that the person who you are bailing out adheres to the rules set forth by the court in granting bail.
You Can Secure Multiple Bonds at Once
Depending on your financial ability to do so, it may be possible to secure multiple bonds at the same time. This may occur if the person who you bailed out gets taken into custody again while out on bond. It may also occur if you have multiple friends or family members who need your assistance at the same time for any reason.
While you don’t want to hear that your friend or family member has been taken to jail, it may be possible to help that person obtain his or her freedom. By paying a defendant’s bail, it could increase the odds that he or she is able to obtain a favorable outcome. This is because that individual will feel less pressure to take a deal simply to be released from custody.
About the Author: Lizzie Weakley is a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. She went to college at The Ohio State University where she studied communications. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors and long walks in the park with her husky Snowball. You can find her on Twitter at @LizzieWeakley and on Facebook at facebook.com/lizzie.weakley.
