When it comes to making any type of significant payment, one of the first things that comes to mind is whether or not you can afford to front that much cash at the time. As for the bail bond industry, this particular question is a common one because the cost of bonds is usually in the high hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Accordingly, one of the most common questions asked by bail bond clients has to do with upfront fee requirements. This is not such a surprising question; after all, many legal professionals use differing payment arrangements and payment models for their services, including hourly rates, retainers, upfront fees, and billed invoices.
If you are seeking to bail a friend out of jail, or bail yourself out of jail in the case that you are surrendering to an arrest warrant, you will need to understand how bail bond agents charge for their services. Continue below to learn what to expect when paying for a bail bond.
Bail and Bail Bonds
There are two different figures to pay attention to when learning how much you will need to pay to get out of jail, and when you will need to pay it. The first is the bail, and the second is the bail bond. A judge will set a defendant’s bail within the first 24 hours of being detained. Most often, this number is high, usually at least $1,000. Depending on the county of arrest, courts will adhere to a set bail schedule to assign a cost to a defendant’s bail. The more serious and severe the crime, the higher the bail is set.
⚖ According to the Bill of Rights, the 8th Amendment prohibits the federal government from being unfair or malicious when setting bail, specifically stating, “excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.”
Unless you are prepared to pay the entire bail amount directly to the court, which again is usually in the high thousands, you will want to focus more on the price of a bail bond rather than the bail. The cost of a bail bond is a set percentage of the total bail amount. So, if the defendant’s bail is set at $5000, and the bail bond company charges a 10% fee, you can expect to pay $500 for a bail bond. Keep in mind, bail bond fees are nonrefundable.
However, if you pay the courts directly, that money is refunded so long as the defendant appears for all scheduled court hearings. Furthermore, bail bond agents are allowed to charge whatever percentage they like upon their own discretion, so long as is it is within the states set bail bond rate. This is usually between 10 and 15%, however some states are now allowing bail bond companies to charge as low as 8% for the services.
When You Have to Pay
If you are choosing to use a bail bond company to get out of jail, whether for yourself or for a friend, you will always have to pay upfront. In some cases, a bail bond agent might allow a client to pay after getting out of jail, but only if they are being picked up by the bail bondsman directly and going straight to the office to complete the payment. This is common procedure for prearranged bail bond service for arrest warrant surrenders.
How to Get Out of Jail Fast in Indianapolis, Indiana
Call Woods Bail Bonds at 317-876-9600 for fast, safe, and secure bail bonds in Central Indiana. We serve the entire state, as well as the Indianapolis region, including Hamilton County, Marion County, Hancock County, Hendricks County, and more! From convenient customer services like free jail pick up and drop off, to 24 hour emergency bail bonds, free jail and courthouse information, and more, we are truly your best option for fast bail bonds near you. We operate 24-7-365, even on National holidays. Request a free estimate, anytime!
