3 Mistakes You Shouldn't Make When Hiring A Bail Bond Agent

When hiring a bail bondsman, it's often easy to make mistakes. After all, whether you are getting yourself or a loved one out of jail, getting it taken care of as quickly as possible is probably your main concern. However, it's important to avoid making these mistakes when hiring a bail bond agent so that you can avoid making a potentially tricky situation worse. 

1. Waiting Too Long to Call

Some people think that they have to wait until regular business hours to call a bail bondsman. However, this usually is not the case, and making this mistake could lead to you or someone you care about spending more time in jail than necessary. Look for a 24-hour bail bond service, and give them a call as soon as possible. The sooner that you call them, the sooner that they can help with getting you or your loved one out of jail.

2. Not Making Arrangements to Meet at the Jail

In many cases, someone is required to meet the bail bondsman while bailing their loved one out of jail. They might have to sign paperwork that they are responsible for the person who is getting out of jail and might have to pay the bondsman's fee, for example. Therefore, you should be prepared to make these arrangements if you're bailing someone out of jail. If you are the one who is going to need to be bailed out of jail, then you should find out if you will need a family member or friend's help.

3. Not Finding Out About the Conditions of Bond

In many cases, when someone gets bailed out of jail, there are multiple conditions of bond that have to be followed. Some of these conditions are set by the court. For example, if you were arrested for domestic violence, you might be warned that you are not allowed to contact the alleged victim in the case. If you were arrested for an alcohol-related crime, you might have been told that you are not allowed to consume alcohol while you are awaiting trial.

In some cases, bail bondsmen put their own restrictions and conditions in place when getting someone out on bond. For example, a bail bondsman might ask you to check in at their office or return their phone calls within a certain period of time, or they might ask that you let them know before leaving the county, city, or state. If you don't ask about these conditions or read over the paperwork when getting out of jail on bond, you could violate them by accident. If this happens, the bondsman might forfeit your bond. Therefore, you should make sure that you find out about the conditions of your bond from the courts or from your bond agent to avoid any problems.