When a friend or family member calls upon you to get them out of jail, you should take action quickly. Bail allows most people accused of a crime to be free from jail so that they can continue to work, take care of their family, and prepare their defense. You may be asked to help someone with their bail bond, so read on to learn more about co-signing a bail bond.

Bailing Someone Out of Jail

If the accused has enough money with them, they may not need any help. Prisoners are allowed to access their funds in order to pay bail. Unfortunately, bail is often too expensive for many and they then must use a bail bonding company. These companies operate in connection to the jail and the courts and provide a bond in place of the full amount of the bail. That means that a bail bond can be obtained by paying a certain percentage of the bail ordered by the judge. If the accused has the means, they may be able to speak to a bail bonds service on the phone and arrange for a bond to be paid on their behalf. In other cases, another person must take care of that task for them.

Co-signing a Bail Bond

The most important fact to know about co-signing a bail bond for someone else is that you will be responsible for bail compliance. Bail is only granted with the condition that the accused appear for court dates and avoids getting into more trouble while out on bail. If the person you bail out of jail using a bail bond violates any bail condition, you may be financially responsible for paying the full price of the bail.

Are You Qualified to be a Co-signer?

In some instances, you should be prepared to show that you can afford to pay the full price of the bail before you can co-sign. Doing so puts the risk on you instead of the bail bonding company should the accused disappear. For example, in addition to paying the bail premium, you may also be asked to pledge property like a vehicle or real estate. Often, you will need to undergo a credit check by the bonding agency before a release from jail occurs. It should be noted that many bail bonding agencies consider more than one indicator of trustworthiness of a co-signer. If you have a job, live in the area, have no criminal record, etc., you will likely be approved to be a co-signer of a bail bond.

If you would like to learn more, speak to your local bail bonding agency.