Which Bail Options Are The Most Affordable?

When you are bailing a loved one out of jail, you could post the bail yourself or choose a bondsmen service. The bail bonds service relies on a fee to generate a profit from the service. There may also be additional fees depending on the bail bondsman you choose. However, there are ways to save money when bailing someone out of jail. 

Posting Bail

The cheapest way to post bail is to post the bail yourself if you are certain that your loved one will show up for court. The bail will be returned to you. However, for many Americans, coming up with even a lower bail can be very difficult. Also, if your loved one skips bail, you may forfeit all of the money. With a bondsman, you'll have a professional who will help make sure that your loved one shows up to court. 

Using a Bail Bonds Service

Typically, you will need to pay 10% of the bond when working with a bondsmen service. This is usually a fee that is required by the state. However, there are sometimes additional fees you might have to pay.

These include document fees, jail fees, fees for credit card processing, and payment plan fees. Ask about whether there are any fees over the phone before you consider a bondsmen service. You can always call several 24-hour bondsmen services to find out which one has the lowest fees. Some companies simply ask for 10% of the bail and that's it.

Securing Financing

Coming up with financing for the bond can also be difficult. For this reason, some bail bond services will offer financing. Typically, financing is more expensive because you might have to pay interest and additional fees.

However, there are some bail bonds services that offer free financing. You may have your loved one released from jail with no money down, and you'll simply have to pay off the loan in the future, sometimes with no interest for as long as a year.

Even if posting bail can be expensive, you want to consider the ways that not posting bail can cost you. If your loved one is sitting in jail, he or she will not be able to go to work. This might affect your ability to pay your bills due to the lost income. However, there is usually a bondsmen service that will have a plan that will work for you.

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