Nobody wants to need bail bonds service. When the time comes, though, you do need to understand what bail bonds are. Understanding these four things will make working with a bail bonds company easier.

Surety

Foremost, bail is a legal surety. A surety can take the form of cash or assets. In this case, the surety includes a promise to a judge that a defendant will return for all court-ordered appearances.

The difference between posting bail yourself and using a bail bondsman is simple. When you post bail, you have to provide the surety in full from your funds or assets. If you use a bail bonds company, the business posts the surety.

Fee

When the bonding company posts the surety, they usually post the full amount required by the court. You then pay a non-refundable fee. This is the company's profit.

Generally, the fee is a significantly lower percentage of the court-ordered bail amount. The company can offer this lower amount because it works with many people. Those people generally satisfy the terms, and the company gets its money back without any problems. The company then keeps the fee regardless of the outcome of the case.

Service

Bail bonding is also a service. The 24-hour bail bonds model is common, for example. A 24-hour bail bonds service will maintain a location close to the county's courthouse or jail. This allows them to quickly pay the surety to the court and obtain the client's release.

Notably, bail firms frequently provide the service on a third-party basis. Suppose a college student needs to ask their parents for bail. Perhaps the parents live in a different state, and they probably aren't enthusiastic about traveling overnight to bail out their kid. They can contact the 24-hour bail bonds service and have a professional handle the situation.

Return for Court Appearances

Be aware that the court and the bail bondsman take your return for all court appearances seriously. If you struggle to remember key dates, the bail bonds company will be happy to provide you with reminders. The consequences of missing even one court date are severe. A judge may issue a warrant for your arrest and revoke your release. Likewise, the court empowers the bail bondsman to hire a bounty hunter to retrieve you and compel your appearance in court.

The upside is that all you have to do is appear and comply with the terms of your release. Even if the case results in a conviction, that has nothing to do with satisfying your bail conditions. You satisfy the condition by showing up.

Contact a bail bonds service today to learn more.

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