No one likes to think of their loved ones sitting in a jail cell. While we all know that accidents and mistakes can occur, we’d all do whatever we can to minimize the amount of time that those closest to us have to spend behind bars. One way in which we do this is through the use of bail bonds, which allow people who have been arrested the chance to return home until their court appearance.
Essentially, bail bonds allow you to bring your family member back home without having to pay the full price of bail yourself. On this page, you’ll find our 2023 guide to bail bonds, which will run through everything you need to know, including what they are, how they work, the benefits of using a bail bond service, and more.
What Are Bail Bonds?
You’ll likely have heard of someone “posting bail” after they’ve been arrested. Someone who posts bail is essentially paying for their freedom until their court appearance. If they didn’t post bail, then they’d have to stay in jail until their case came up before the judge. The bail is essentially an agreement between the accused and the legal system that they can go home but will return to court on the agreed date, with money put up as insurance.
However, many people are unable to afford the cost of their bail. For people that don’t have $20,000 sitting in their bank account to pay for bail, their options are to either stay in jail until their court date or use a bail bonds service. A bail bonds service will pay the cost of the bail and charge a fee (usually no more than 10% of the bail) to the defendant.
What Influences the Cost of Bail?
The cost of bail is determined, not exclusively but most predominantly, by the type of crime the defendant is accused of committing. Each courthouse usually sets a standard price for crimes, with prices ranging from $20,000 for minor felonies to $1million+ for serious crimes.
The defendant’s character and history may also play a role in determining the cost of bail. For instance, the judge may request a higher-than-usual bail for someone who:
- Has a history of committing crimes
- Has failed to show up to court in the past
- Is currently unemployed
- Has no close relationship in the community.
In some cases, bail may be denied entirely, though this is rare. Similarly, sometimes no bail is required, though they must still show up to the court date.
How the Bail Bond Process Works in 2023
For many people who end up in jail or who have loved ones in jail, bail bonds can be highly useful. After all, most people don’t have large sums of money just sitting around that they can use to post bail.
So how does the bail bonds process work? Here at Mr Nice Guy Bail Bonds, it’s a three-step process.
Contact Us
We’ll need some information before we can begin the process. In the initial consultation, we’ll ask for as much information as you can provide about the person currently in jail, at which point we’ll find out at how much bail has been set.
We Come to an Agreement
We offer affordable, flexible, and fair payment options for our bail bonds service. Before we get to work on posting bail, we will come to an agreement as to the cost of the service and the payment terms. The contract will stipulate how much the bond is worth and the premium that the defendant (or the person representing the defendant) will pay, which is never more than 10% of the value of the bond.
We Get To Work
Once we have our agreement, we’ll get to work on processing the paperwork that will allow the defendant to return home. How long this takes will depend on various factors, but it’s usually only around 1 - 2 hours after the bond has been posted.
The Benefits of Using Bail Bonds
You don’t need to use a bail bonds service to get a loved one out of jail. It’s possible to pay the price of the bail directly yourself. However, there are reasons why even people who can afford to do that (which many can’t) still decide to use a bail bonds service, including:
Get Your Loved One Out of Jail
It can be challenging to post bail if you have no experience in doing so. If your objective is to get a loved one out of jail as soon as possible, then a bail bond service can help. We have the experience and expertise to help keep the amount of time that your loved one spends in jail to a minimum. We’ll get to work straight away and have your family member in a matter of hours.
Maintain Your Privacy
We offer a confidential service, which ensures that nobody needs to find out about the bail bond if you don’t want them to. Using a trusted, licensed bail bond service such as ourselves allows you to keep your personal matter private.
Keeps Your Finances Healthy
Even if you could pull together all the money required to post bail, in doing so, you may severely impact your cash flow, which could have negative ripple effects. By using a bail bonds service, you can keep the bulk of your money, only having to set aside 10% of the cost of the bail to be paid as the premium.
Contact Mr Nice Guy Bail Bonds Now
There are plenty of bail bond companies operating in California, but when it comes to securing your loved one’s freedom, it’s best to go straight to the best. Here at Mr Nice Guy Bail Bonds, we’ve made it our mission to provide exceptional service to all our customers, who can have peace of mind that their loved ones are in safe hands. To get started, simply get in touch. We’re available online, on the phone, or in person 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
