Finding out that a friend has gotten arrested can be very troubling news, whether they are facing serious charges or a simple misdemeanor. It's probably your instinct to do what you can to help your friend in this situation, and one thing you could be thinking about doing is calling a bail bondsman. This is a great first step when you find out someone you care about has been arrested, and these tips can help you when you contact a bail bondsman for help.
Understand Why You Should Call a Bail Bondsman
Some people don't call a bail bondsman when their friend gets arrested. Instead, they might want to go to the jail to try to handle the situation themselves. In many cases, this isn't a good idea. If you do this, you will need to have enough money to cover their entire bond. Additionally, you won't have anyone there to walk you through the process if you go by yourself, which can be quite overwhelming and can increase your chances of making a mistake. When you're bailing a friend (or anyone, for that matter) out of jail, contacting a bail bondsman is often a great first step.
Call the Right Bail Bondsman
Of course, you should make sure that you call the right bail bondsman when working with one of these professionals. Call someone who is local; this increases your chances of them helping and can speed the process along. Make sure they are licensed, and when applicable, look for a 24-hour bail bond service to get your friend out of jail as soon as possible.
Be Prepared to Pay The Bondsman's Fee
Working with a bail bondsman can make it a lot easier to bail someone out of jail, at least financially. This is because you don't have to have your loved one's entire bond amount to get them out of jail. However, obviously, you will have to pay them a fee for the service. Generally, this is a percentage of your friend's total bond amount. Be prepared to pay this fee to expedite the process. If you're unsure of how much you have to pay or what payment methods you can use, the bail bondsman should be able to help you out.
Be Prepared to Answer Questions
Of course, when you call the bail bondsman, you will need to be prepared to answer a few questions about things like who your friend is, where they are incarcerated, what their charges are, and more. The more that the bail bondsman knows, the more they can help.
For more info about bail bonds, contact a local company.