Three Crucial Tips to Consider When Posting Bail for a Family Member

Posted on

When you find out that your family member has been locked up, you probably want to post bail as quickly as possible to get them out. Although posting bail may seem like an intimidating process, it doesn't have to be thanks to these tips. 

Find out the Bail Amount 

So that you know exactly how much to save up for or bring with you when getting your family member out of jail, you need to find out their bail amount. How much this is will depend on the severity of the crime committed. 

What you'll need to do is contact the jail where they've been sent. Some jails will tell you exactly how much the bail amount is, as long as you provide them with the right personal information of the person who's been locked up. Other jails will have you show up to the jail in person and use their processing kiosk. Once you enter in the right data, it will show how much the bail amount is.

Work With a Bail Bondsman 

You probably don't have enough cash to pay your family member's full bail amount. That's perfectly okay because you can always work with a bail bondsman. They'll take care of these bail bonds as long as you pay them a certain percentage. 

You need to be selective about which bondsman you work with, though. It helps to compare the fees of various bondsman so that you can choose one that works best for your particular financial situation. It's also important that the bondsman is experienced and has a lot of positive reviews. Having these criteria will make this entire process go a lot smoother.

Understand Your Family Member's Court Obligations 

Once your family member is finally let out of jail, their journey is not over. They still will need to follow up with upcoming court dates to receive sentencing. You should take it upon yourself to understand exactly what these obligations are because if these dates are missed, your family member could face hefty fines and even get sent back to jail.

If you worked with a bail bondsman, ask them when the court dates are. Write them down on a calendar or your phone so that you don't miss them or show up late. These simple steps will ensure your family member doesn't get into any more legal trouble.

At some point, one of your beloved family members may end up in jail. Thanks to the option of posting bail, they won't have to spend too long being locked up. Just make sure you know what this process involves and take advantage of professional resources.