You get a phone call in the middle of the night with a family member or friend asking you to bail them out of jail; what do you do? If you have never had to do this before and you aren't sure of the process or what it entails, there are some things you want to know.
First of all, you don't have to pay the full bail amount, so don't panic at the amount set for bail. Instead, you can pay a small percentage of it to a bail bondsman, and they will pay the full amount. You will later be liable for it if the person doesn't reappear in court after they are released, but as long as they do, you are fine. Know these things to get started.
You Need Information
You need to have all the basic information ready to go for the bail bondsman. This means you need to know what jail they are in, what their inmate number is, and what the bail is set at. If you don't already have this information, the bondsman should be able to get it with you if you know what jail the person is in.
You Have to Be Worthy of Approval
Just like any other type of application for a financial loan or risk, your finances will be a factor when they look to see if you are worthy of approval. This means that your credit score, debt-to-income ratio, credit history, and current employment and financial status could prevent you from getting the bail that your friend or family member needs.
You Can Put Up an Asset
You can use an asset as collateral to get approved for the bail if needed. This could be a house, vehicle, or other valuable assets that you own or have equity in. This should be a last resort possibility when you are ready to bail someone out.
Once everything has been approved, the bondsman will send the bail money over to the jail, and then the person will be released. You will then want to make sure that they go back to court on the day that they are supposed to get in front of the judge for their case, so that they don't skip out on the bail, and then you will end up having to pay the entire amount of the bail that the bondsman paid.
For more information on bail bonds, contact a company like Valencia Bail Bonds.
