Bailing a friend or family member out of jail is a very important matter. When selecting a bail bond company, you want to be sure to make sure you are choosing the right one. Here are a few questions and tips to help you be sure you are choosing a safe and reliable company with both yours and the defendants best interests in mind.
- Is the company licensed? This may seem like an obvious thing to look for, but when caught up in the emotion of bailing a loved one out it may be something that could be over looked. You need to be sure you are dealing with someone trust worthy that knows what he or she is doing. All bail bondsmen are licensed by the California Department of Insurance where you can look up license status.
- Can you explain the bail bond process? All reputable bail bondsmen should be more than willing to help you to thoroughly understand the process of posting bail and the responsibilities it entails. They should never rush you through the process or leave you with any questions unanswered.
- How fast will the defendant be released from jail? No honest bail bondsman should ever give you an exact time frame. Defendants will generally be released immediately after all the paper work has been completely. However, the truth of the matter is, different jailhouses take different amounts of times to process and released individuals. Some bail bondsmen who guarantee an amount of time simply want to close the deal with you. On the other hand, there may be bail bondsmen who have had frequent encounters with certain jailhouses and will be able to give you a “normal” time frame from previous experiences, that is perfectly okay.
Above all, be sure to do your research and make sure you feel comfortable with the company you are dealing with. Don’t let a bail bondsman pressure you into rushing through the process.
