How To Pay The Fees For A Bail Bond Agent
ShareFinding yourself in jail is probably not where you thought you would spend the night, but this can happen to anyone from just one wrong decision. If this is where you are and if you need to find a way out, you could call a 24 hour bail bonds agent. If you are wondering how this works, here are some things to know.
The Bail Amount
The first thing to know is that courts allow people a way out of jail after an arrest, and this is through paying bail. The person who is in jail can pay the bail amount, or another person can pay it for him or her. If the person has no money and cannot find a way to get money to pay for the bail, he or she can turn to a bail bond agency for assistance. The amount you must pay to get out of jail will always be set by the court handling the criminal charge, and this amount can greatly vary.
Bail Bond Agents Charge a Set Fee
Using a bail bond agent is the method that allows people to bail someone out without raising a great deal of cash. Using a bail bond agent involves paying some cash upfront, but it generally is only around 10% to 15% of the bail amount. Therefore, if the bail is $5,000, you might need $500 to $750 for the fee, but that is all. Paying this amount is a lot more reasonable for the average person than paying the full $5,000 bail, and this is the reason many people turn to agencies for help.
A Bail Bond Agent May Also Require Collateral
It is also important to understand that a bail bond agent might also require some collateral, even if you can pay the 10% fee. You might have to offer collateral that is worth the remaining amount that the agency will have to pay to bail the person out. In this case, if you put $500 down, you might need to put down collateral that is worth $4,500. This varies, though, and many agencies allow people to work out payment plans if they do not have a way to come up with the necessary cash or collateral.
Do you now understand what you will need to do to get out of jail? If so, or if you have questions, you can learn more by contacting a bail bond agency of your choice.