Unfortunately, we sometimes receive frantic phone calls from people who have been arrested or family members of someone who has been arrested. During such devastating situations, everyone involved becomes emotional and fragile, and want to get themselves or their loved ones out of jail as quickly as possible. But oftentimes, they would not know how to do that.
Lucky Lucero’s Bail Bonds is a leading bail bond company in Brighton, and willing to work on your behalf. As with anything else, it’s best that you learn the basics of bail bonds before you finalize a contract with a single company or agent.
Make sure you ask your agent the following:
How much do you charge?
Dependable and reputable bail agents will usually charge anywhere between 10% to 15% at the state level. For federal level, the rate is 15% on average. So if your bail is set at $70,000, expect to pay your bail bonds agent a sum ranging from $7,000 to $10,500.
You might encounter companies who will quote you a figure lower than the abovementioned. Unfortunately, they aren’t offering you a better deal, contrary to what they claim. Their agenda is simple: to get you to sign a contract as quickly as possible, then either increase the price afterwards or make you pay ridiculous “additional” fees.
2. Are you licensed?
Brighton bail bonds service companies are required to apply for a license in order to conduct business. Make sure to get their license number and verify it against the state’s department of insurance. It’s also important to perform background checks not only on the bail bonds company, but the agent you’re dealing with as well. These are all necessary steps in order to ensure that you’re getting someone of quality, in order to make the process of bailing out yourself or your loved one much easier.
3. What if the defendant fails to appear in court?
Bailing someone out of jail comes with the inherent responsibility of assuring the authorities that the accused will be available for their assigned court date. If they miss their court date, the police will issue a Failure to Appear warrant and post the notice across all police bulletins. Whoever presented the bail money will not be able to get it back. This is why bail agents have a vested interest in a defendant’s attendance at his hearing. If a defendant flakes out on them, bail agents may seek the service of bounty others or employ other means to locate the absentee client.
4. How fast can the defendant be released after bail has been posted?
The release of an accused person is entirely up to the authorities, and is not something your bail bonds agent will be able to manipulate. The only thing that is within the realm of control of bail bonds agents is the speed at which he completes the processing and submission of documents. But an agent who has been in the industry for a number of years will be able to give an accurate time frame as to when a defendant will be released.
5. What do you accept as collateral?
For the most part, bail bonds agents will accept the following as forms of collateral:
Real estate
Cars
Credit cards
Stocks
Bonds
Jewelry
Personal credit
Bank accounts
6. What is the Bail Bond Process?
Any agent worth his salt can talk you through the entire process in order to make sure that you understand everything before proceeding. Bail bonds can be extremely complicated, especially if you’re new to it. If you encounter an agent or company who is unwilling to go through all the steps with you, or does not seem to be equipped with the proper knowledge, then they’re not someone you want to be working with for something as important as the release of yourself or your loved one.
It’s never easy to deal with such a thing as bailing a person out of jail. But Lucky Lucero’s Bail Bonds will guide you through the process with a gentle yet firm hand. We are a longstanding player in the business of bail bonds and have a long history of helping families since 1982. If you need us, we’ll be here.