What are bail bonds?

Bail is the process of providing money to get out of jail after an arrest. When you receive bail, you are under obligation to appear in court for the trial. Depending on the amount of bail charged to obtain your release, you may need to contact a bail bondsman. A bondsman provides the majority of the bail amount while charging a typical fee of ten to 15 percent of the actual bail amount. The bondsman will also require a lien against something of equal value to the remaining bail amount. For instance, if a bail amount is set for 10 thousand dollars, you would need 1 thousand dollars in cash to obtain the bond. Then sign a lien against your home to secure the remaining 9 thousand dollars of the bail bond. In some cases, your bail amount may be determined by a set schedule according to the offense. This is known as stationhouse bail. You are able to pay or arrange bail without seeing a judge and obtain your release from jail much faster. For additional information on bail bonds, contact a bondsman in your area.