Posted on

9 Important Questions to Ask a Bail Bond Agency

bail

When choosing a bail bond agency to work with, you need a good sense of judgment and all the information you can get about the company. When getting in touch with bail bond companies, you want to ask all the right questions to learn about their services and what exactly they can do to help you. We discuss the most important questions to ask to help narrow down your options.

What is the difference between bail and bond?  

Bail is the full cash payment of the bond order paid by the defendant to the court. Bail money can be returned at the end of trial if court requirements are met. A bond is posted on a defendant’s behalf, by a bail bond company, to secure the release of the defendant. Money paid as a fee for bond services will not be returned. 

How much will you charge for your services?

When you apply for a bond, you pay a certain percentage of the total bail amount to secure the loan. By doing so, you show the bail bond company that you are holding up your end of the loan, which protects them if you fail to pay the bond back in full. The total percentage of bail may vary from company to company. 

Are you licensed?

Bail bond agencies are typically regulated in most states, meaning you can rest assured that you are working with a licensed bail bondsman. With that being said, before agreeing to work with anyone, make sure the bail bondsman is licensed to operate in the state. You can ask for proof of licensing to make sure you are working with a reliable agency. 

What kinds of bail bonds do you provide?

Some bail bond agencies may only offer bonds on certain amounts of bail, meaning some will only work with small bail amounts. That means that there are other agencies that only provide bonds for high-dollar bail amounts. Because of this, do your research to make sure you work with an agency that can help with the bail you have been issued. 

How can I find out where a person is detained or if a bail amount has been set?

A bail bond agency can obtain and provide that information rather quickly. You can also contact the courthouse of the county in which the inmate is being held. Once the courthouse is discovered, a clerk may ask you for information about the inmate including their legal name, birth date, and case number to locate them and provide information on the bail amount. 

Do I need an attorney to post a bond?

You do not need an attorney to post a bond. You can post the full cash bail amount or arrange for a bond through a licensed bondsman or agency without an attorney. 

Do I have to put up collateral?

Bail collateral is offered in place of bail money in order to secure the release of the person who has been arrested, so depending on the situation, you may not have to post collateral. Consider the collateral a form of credit or loan to ensure that the person shows up in court. Collateral can come in many forms of assets. 

How quickly can you get me or a loved one out of jail?

Everyone’s case is different, therefore the time it will take to get you or a loved one out of jail will depend. A bail bondsman can usually provide a timeline regarding how quickly they can get their end of the bail process done. It is important to note that these agencies cannot control how quickly a jailhouse will process the release request. 

What happens once I or a loved one is out?

Once released from jail, you or a loved one are expected to attend all hearings and court dates on time. The bail bond agency you are working with will explain what you need to do in order to meet the terms of your bail. They will also explain what can happen if you miss your court dates or violate any other terms of your release. 

Have More Questions? Contact Us to Learn More  

Almost always, covering the full amount of bail can be rather difficult and out of reach. You don’t have to struggle with coming up with the money you need. Work with an experienced bail bond agency and you’ll be able to process your release as fast as possible. Contact our team to learn more about how we can help. 

Posted on

Tips On Dealing With An Arrest

Life is complicated. Situations get out of control. Emotions often cloud judgment. These are all realities that all adults content with at some point or another. A lot of times, it is complex situations that involve a heightened emotional and stress that lead people to do less-than-rational things that might end up in an arrest. Sometimes, it may be simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time, as has occurred to some that have found themselves facing false accusations or unjust charges. Whatever the case may be, an arrest is never clear cut and will often be quite complicated, so here are a few tips to keep in mind in case you ever find yourself in that situation. 

 

  1. Stay Calm. If you find yourself facing arrest, it’s best to stay calm, even when you feel or know that there are unjust or confusing circumstances. Law enforcement will be watching your behavior and erratic or defiant behavior can certainly count against you in a court of law. Maintain your composure and be polite and firm. 
  2. Be polite. This goes hand-in-hand with the one above. Even if you feel the arrest or detention is unjust, you want to be polite and respectful to all law enforcement and comply with their requests and allow them to do their job. It is only their job to apprehend you, they do not determine your guilt or innocence per se, so the speech you have prepared will not work. Whatever you need to communicate to the officers, ensure that it is in a clear and polite manner. 
  3. Do not resist. Regardless of circumstances, resisting arrest or running away from police will not only look bad in court but can actually get you into more trouble, including dangerous situations. 
  4. Don’t say anything that you don’t have to. If you’re being taken into custody, the police are likely not interested in having a conversation with you. They have a job to do and their job is to take you in. Proving your innocence or making your case comes later. So if you don’t have to say anything to police, it’s best to save it until you have a lawyer present. 
  5. Ask for a lawyer. It is important to let the police know that you would like to call a lawyer. Asking for an attorney will deter the police from interrogating you until that request is met. 
  6. Consider bail. Depending on the circumstances and the nature of the accusations, the case, and your criminal background, a judge may decide that you are able to post bail. You may need to find a bail bonds place to help you come up with the cash. It’s important to post bail in order to avoid spending unnecessary time in jail and jeopardizing your job, careers, relationships, etc. 

 

Stay Calm and Call Someone You Trust 

Freedom Bail Bonds is there to help you get out of jail and await your trail. It is not necessary to spend time in jail and have your whole life turned upside down when you have not even been convicted of a crime. A month or two in a detention facility can really change a lot of circumstances in people’s lives.

Posted on

Five Facts About Bail Bonds You May Not Know

bailIf you find yourself in a position of needing to bail out yourself or a loved one, you know just how tricky and convoluted the process can be. It’s never as simple as they make it out to be on TV. If you need to bail out a loved one, knowing these five facts about bail bonds can help you better prepare for the situation ahead. At Freedom Bail Bonds, not only can we help with bail bonds, but we also want to be sure that all of our clients are well-educated on the topic at hand. Check out these five facts about bail bonds to learn more and to see how these facts may affect your case.

Fact #1: Paying the Bond Yourself Isn’t Always the Best Route

Many people think they’ll just pay the bond and be done with it, but it doesn’t always work that way. Paying the bond may require you to pay in increments for one large fee or different fees at different times. On top of that, it can be rather costly, leaving a large dent in your finances. Your best bet is to go through a bail bonds company.

Fact #2: Collateral May be Different Things

Collateral may be a number of different things, including items you may not think about. Keep this in mind if you know you will be required to put up collateral for a loved one.

Fact #3: It Doesn’t Always End With the Court Dates

People tend to think they’ll pay bail and then show up to their court date and everything will be peachy. However, what they may not know is that they may also be required to take education and training courses, appear at numerous court dates, and do other things that they might not think about.

Fact #4: Bail Isn’t Always Necessary

In some cases, bail isn’t always necessary! Surprising, but true. However, if you do need to pay bail, we’re always here to help.

Fact #5: A Bail Bonds Company Can Help You

Sometimes, when you need to bail yourself or a loved one out of jail, you might not have the funds or the collateral to. A bail bonds company, like ourselves, can help you bail a loved one or yourself out of jail. If you’re in need of this kind of assistance, Freedom Bail Bonds is here to help. We understand how stressful this kind of situation can be. Give us a call today so we can get started helping you!