Click any Bail Bonds Questions below for answers!
If you have decided to post a cash bond at the jail. Contact the jail and have them tell you exactly what that particular jail requires for payment. Jail payment policies change often so call ahead first.
The bond processing takes approximately 15 – 30 minutes to complete. A few short forms need to be completed and we can then deliver the bond paperwork to the jail immediately. Nothing else needs to be done.
The jail takes approximately 3-5 hrs for their processing and then the inmate gets released. The defendent will need to stop by our office to complete our paperwork and talk about court dates, rules etc. This takes less than half an hour.
In many instances bail is unaffordable and you may not want to post all your savings up front. For examplef a bond is set at $5000 you could post 10% with a bondsman instead of paying all of the $5000 (cash bond). What a bail bond company will do is pay the bond to the jail to secure the release. For our fee we offer extensive experience of the court and jail systems. We can make this very difficult situation quite painless for you and your family.
Each clients situation is different when it comes to collateral.. We do not always require collateral when posting a bond through our office. If it is required, we generally hold something of value such as car title, real estate, cash, jewelry, etc) to offset any loss if the person fails to appear at scheduled hearings.
As long as the appearance is made and the case is resolved, the collateral gets returned. A contract is considered collateral even though you haven’t given anything except your signature. Many times we only require a signature bond (release).
When you post a bond for someone without pledging additional collateral to secure the bond, it’s called a Signature Bond. Contract is signed indicating that the bonding company must be repayed if the defendant skips court (fais to appear). The you must come in and pay back the total amount lost.
The two standard bail bond contracts generally signed are a Promissory Note and Indemnity Agreement. You can see these on our forms page.
Generally a preset date to appear is about 2-4 weeks from the date of arrest. The first court date is usually called an arraignment. This is where the defendant will plea guilty or not guilty. A guilty plea will resolve the case that day. A not guilty plea will set the case for additional court dates.
A not guilty plea means you are refuting the charge. A case can last for several months and require many court appearances. You will typically need to be represented by an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, the court will usually appoint one through the Public Defender’s Office. We can provide the contact information for the Clerk of Court,Public Defender’s Office or the local Bar Association for additional information.
We can arrange a bond to be posted in regions throughout the United States. If the incarcerated person is outside of our service area we can use a process that’s called a transfer bond. All paperwork is done locally but a bail bond company in the arrested jailer’s city will post the bond and deal with the particular jail. In most cases the defendant is released very quickly.
Transfer bonds will cost additional fees. In the State of Florida it’s usually about $50-100 additional. Other States cost more and we can let you know what the cost would be as we work with our affiliated agents around the country.
We will attempt to locate any outstanding warrants for your arrest. If an active warrant is found we can assist you in turning yourself in and posting bond to get out immediately. This is called a “walk thru arrest”.
You usually sign two standard bail contracts. By signing for a defendant you are guaranteeing to the Bail Bonds Company that you will have the defendant appear at each court appearance. (There are usually several court appearances and you are responsible for all.)
We’ll let you know of each court date and you can keep up to date by calling us as well to check on any new court information. Should defendant fail to appear in court, you risk paying the entire bond amount (total liability) to the Bail Bond Company if you cannot get the defendant back to court as soon as possible.
Two contracts you will sign are the Indemnity Agreement and Promissory Note.
Indemnity Agreement:
To hold harmless. You will assure the Bail Bond Company that you will hold us harmless against any loss/cost on this bond if defendant fails to appear. There is usually no cost to get the defendant back to court as long as they are willing to get there immediately.
Promissory Note:
You promise to pay back the total sum of the bond within a certain time frame if the defendant fails to appear (skips bond) and refuses to go back to court.
Once the cases are closed and the judge has adjudicated or resolved them, then the contracts become Null and Void.
Call Us with any additional questions. 813 715-2999