April George
If someone you know has been arrested and has the opportunity to be bailed out, they may turn to you and ask you to get a bail bond. In order to do that, you need to put money or some sort of collateral toward the bond. The issue is, if the person skips bail and doesn't show up to court, you lose that money or collateral. Given that collateral can include things like your house or car, you need to think carefully before getting that bail bond.
How Confident Are You That They'll Show up to Court?
Some people just are not reliable. You don't have confidence they'll actually show up to court. But others are reliable enough so that you know they're taking this arrest seriously and want to do everything correctly. You have to be confident that they will not skip bail. That's the most basic requirement and the first thing to think about if you want to get a bail bond for them.
Do They Have Reliable Housing and Transportation?
When the person is supposed to report to court, they have to show up to the court. They can't even be late. Something that helps ensure they show up is having stable housing and transportation. If the person is in unstable housing or is homeless, for example, that can make it harder to get everything together and show up for that court date. But if they have a place to stay that you know they'll remain at, and if they have a reliable way to get to court (even if it's taking the bus very early to ensure they're on time), those are very good signs.
What Are You Being Asked to Contribute?
You also need to take a good look at what you're being asked to contribute. Do you feel pressure from others to use your house as collateral? Because that can be a devastating loss if the person skips bail. Even if you generally trust the person not to skip out, that's a major item to stake on someone's future promise to appear in court. The same goes for your car that you need to get to work in an area with little public transportation. If your life will be turned upside down by the person skipping bail, speak with the bail bond agent first about ways to protect yourself and whatever you offered as collateral if the person skips bail. If there's no way to prevent the loss of your home, for example, you may have to think twice about helping with a bail bond. But if you're asked to contribute savings, for instance, that will hurt if lost but not ruin your life, that's a different situation.
Bail bonds help people stay out of jail, and if your loved one or friend has been arrested, getting a bail bond for them is likely one of the top things on your mind. Just go into this with a clear head so that you know that you are making the right decision.
To learn more, contact a bail bonds service in your area such as Steele Boys Bail Bonds.
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