Bail Bonds – Finding a Legitimate Agent

If you're facing the prospect of spending more than one or two nights in jail then you're probably willing to look for just about any way out. To get out and spend your time between court dates at home with your family, and your own comfy bed means you have to have a lawyer that will convince the judge to let you do so. Bail bonds are the way of doing this if you don’t have the funds lying around your bank account. Finding the right agent can be tricky and it’s not necessarily something you have tons of time to research.

There are a few things you should take the time to verify before you do business with a bail bonds agent. First off, you need to know who they are insured by. All reputable agents are backed by an insurance company of some sort. Turning money over to the courts on people’s behalf is a risky business. A lot of people out there are innocent or just made one bad choice. Other people out there live their lives as one bad choice after another and quite frequently decide not to make an appearance in court. This can end up costing the agent a lot of money so they have insurance for a reason. If they aren’t insured then you’re not looking at a qualified agent.

Another thing you need to know about your bail bonds agent is their licensing. Almost all areas that allow for someone to post on your behalf require some sort of license. You need to know that they are in fact licensed by the state to do this type of work. Many of these states require them to take an exam prior to receiving their license. By knowing whether or not they are licensed will give you piece of mind that what they are doing is legitimate and you are getting the assistance that you need, not taking out a loan instead.

A final thing you need to know about your bail bonds agent is if they take collateral. While you might not have the entire amount necessary to spring your loved one from jail you will have to have some of it. The normal cost of securing a bond through one of these people is 10 to 15% of the bond. If you don’t have that then you need someone who will work with you. Many of these people will take collateral such as a home, car, real estate or other valuable property. As long as the person makes all his court dates you won’t lose your collateral. Should he skip you could lose your home or car so be careful if you are going this route.

Bail bonds are popular; you can find a place on just about every corner. Sure you don’t have a ton of time to get your loved one out of jail but normally there is no real deadline. That being said, take at least a little time and do some homework before you go visit the agent’s office.