It was a normal night when things went south and you ended up in handcuffs. Now, you need to figure out how to defend yourself when you go to court. Since the average bail costs $10,000, you’re not sure that’s an option.
Then, your friend mentioned that you could get bail financing to help out. But, how does bail bonds financing work?
We put together a quick guide to explain all about bond financing and how it works. Keep reading to find out how to bond out when you don’t have the cash upfront.
What Is a Bond and Why Do You Need One?
A bail bond is when you pay a fee to a bondsman and they put up the bail amount to allow you to leave the jail before your trial. If you don’t go to trial, the bondsman forfeits that bail money and will hunt you down to surrender you back to the custody of the court. The purpose of bonding out is to have enough freedom to prepare your case for court.
Make sure to choose a well-rated bondsman. You can start your search online by typing in quality Bail Bonds in this area to see what local options you have. But many people get good recommendations from friends and family.
Traditional Bondsman Payment Options
For decades, you had two options to pay your bondsman. These are the traditional methods of bondsman payment.
Cash
Cash is king and everyone, including your bondsman, accepts cash payment for their services. Some bondsmen will also accept a personal check.
Collateral
If you didn’t have cash, the bondsman may work out a deal where you give them your car, jewelry, or other valuables in return for the bond money. Then, once you pay the money back, they would return your belongings to you.
How Bail Bonds Financing Works
The modern bail bondsmen came up with another option so more inmates could make bail, bail bonds payment plans. For a small fee, the bondsman accepts small chunks of payments made in regular intervals instead of a lump sum.
You will need to pay a down payment upfront. The deposit amount depends on many factors including your credit score and bail amount.
If you have poor or no credit, you may need to have a friend or family member with good credit cosign for you. Relying on co-signer credit makes that person liable for the bond money if you miss trial.
They Call Them Bondsmen… Bail Bondsmen
No one plans to get into legal trouble or lose their freedom. That’s why it’s important to know how to reach out to a good bondsman.
If you don’t have the cash to pay your bail, a payment plan could work well for your situation. Keep in mind that you’ll need to make all your payments on time or face bigger problems.
We hope you found this article informative and that you learned all about bail bonds financing. If you’re looking for more helpful articles about finance, lifestyles, and more, check out the rest of our blog today!
