The period directly after a loved one has been arrested is going to be stressful and could be confusing. You most likely will want to figure out the best way to get your loved one out of jail as quickly as possible. But there are many mistakes that people make when getting a loved one out of jail.
Choosing the wrong bail bond company
Most areas will have multiple bail bond companies available to choose from. Choosing one could be tricky and not all bail bondsman are equal. You need to choose one that is going to care about you and your situation. You also want to find one that is well reviewed which will prove that they take care of their clients. If you ever come across a bail bond company that offers less than an 8% fee, then you should not work with this company since this is illegal. You want a bail bond agent that is respectable and honest.
Lie
If you are trying to get your loved one out of jail, then you should never lie to the court or to your bail bond agent. They are going to ask you for information and will need to ensure that you are worth the financial risk, and if you lie about information then you could get into serious problems. You need to have a good relationship with your bail bond agent, and lying won’t achieve this.
Waiting
Many people think that they can only call a bail bond agent during the day hours, but in fact, most bail bond agents are available 24 hours a day and will respond immediately. The sooner you contact the bail bond agent, the faster your loved one can be released. There will be hours of paperwork and the court will be involved, but getting your bail bondsman involved early will help speed this up.
The wrong co-signer
The amount of bail that is required to release your loved one, will depend on several factors. Including the crime, flight risk, and past history. If the bail amount is high, then we are going to require extra insurance that the money will be repaid if the defendant doesn’t show up for court dates. We are going to need you to have a stable job and be able to pay our fee, but if you alone aren’t able to cover the bail, then that is where a cosigner comes in. But not just anyone can be a cosigner. Since it will require someone that can prove that they have a job, and enough collateral to cover the bond should that be necessary. So if you bring someone to cosign, make sure that they fulfill these requirements.
These are four of the most common mistakes that we see people make, and avoiding these will help you speed up the process and avoid any potential problems.
