Has a friend or relative of yours recently been arrested?
Do they need your help making bail?
If someone you know is struggling to afford their bail, you may be wondering if a bail bondsman is their best bet.
A bail bondsman is an agent or agency that can pledge money or collateral on behalf of a defendant. They act as a sponsor of the defendant, as well as a surety that the defendant will appear in court.
Perform an Internet search for “bail bonds service” in your area and you’ll likely find lots of options. But which of these options are the safest and most reliable?
In this article, we’ll explain what to look for in a bail bondsman so you can help your loved one post bail.
Professional & Easy to Contact
Your first impression of a bail bondsman should boil down to their website. While a website can’t show for capabilities, it can tell you a bit about professionalism.
Think about how often you’re turned off by a website that looks outdated or is full of spelling errors. Internet users, in general, trust updated websites more than others.
A website shows how serious a professional take their job. If they’re not willing to create a well-founded website, what does that mean for their services?
This is pertinent when it comes to looking for a bail bonds service. Don’t trust a bail bonds website that has errors, redirects, or looks outdated.
In addition, it should be easy to locate contact information on a bail bonds website. It should be even easier to reach them when you do make the phone call.
If they’re hard to reach, chances are they’re not reliable.
You should pay particular attention to bail bondsmen who are available 24/7. The nature of this business, after all, is bailing people out of jail. Bail bondsmen need to be available 24/7 to handle their cases.
Personable & Reasonable
The way a bail bondsman speaks with you is very telling of their professionalism.
It’s emotionally trying and stressful on the relatives and friends of the defendant. Professional bail bondsmen who understand the business should be gracious of this fact.
They may be busy. But it’s still no excuse to act and speak brashly with relatives and friends of the people they represent.
The best bail bondsmen will take the time to explain anything and everything to you. They should show an initiative to explain the bail bonds process to you and any questions you may have.
You’ll need to provide all the inmate’s information to your bail bondsman. Don’t know or can’t get all their information? Find out more how you can use a free online confidential form.
Don’t Overpay
Additionally, they should also take the time to explain the loans you’ll owe to them. If they charge interest, ask them to explain why.
You don’t want to overpay if you don’t have to. Some bail bondsmen may be looking to squeeze extra money out wherever possible.
If interest charges seem unreasonable, chances are they may be.
Luckily, some bail bondsmen don’t charge interest. A bail bonds service that doesn’t charge interest is ideal in any situation.
Legitimate & Well-Received
A bail bondsman’s reliability and trustworthiness don’t just rely on their professionalism.
You should also inquire about their licensing. Unfortunately, there are people who pose as bail bondsmen who aren’t properly licensed.
A legitimate bail bondsman should’ve undergone training with a state-sponsored program. They should’ve also passed the state licensing exam. Additionally, they should have received approval for a state license to operate.
If a bail bonds service can’t or refuses to provide proof of their agents’ licenses’, don’t trust them. You can find out this information yourself with your state’s Department of Insurance. If they aren’t licensed to them, don’t trust them.
Once you know that your bail bondsman is properly licensed, look at reviews online. You should look for bail bondsmen who have an approval with the Better Business Bureau. You can also rely on individual reviews of their past clients.
Keep Your Guard Up
Unfortunately, there are bail bondsmen who go out of their way to find clients. These bondsmen will hang out around outside jails and come up to visitors going in and out of jailhouses.
It’s likely that these bail bondsmen don’t have physical offices. This should be a red flag that they’re not licensed and are operating illegitimately.
If a bail bondsman approaches you when you visit an inmate, ask to see their credentials. They should be able to provide you with information to their physical office.
Don’t trust them until you meet with them personally in their physical office.
It’s also likely that some bail bondsmen will contact you out-of-the-blue. It may be that an inmate reached out to them for their services. But it could also mean that they are posing as an inmate’s representative.
They have to be able to confirm that an inmate asked them to contact you personally. If this happens to you, run it by your friend or relative who is in jail.
Get in Touch with the Best Bail Bonds Service
It’s never easy when you find out that someone you love is in need of a bail bondsman.
You want to do everything you can to help them. But you may struggle in your search for the right bail bondsman who can handle your loved one’s case.
That’s why we’re here to help.
At Find a Business That, we can help you get in touch with a bail bonds service in your local area. We can also help you get in touch with attorneys to help your loved one through their court case.
For more information, visit our legal blog!