Getting arrested for anything is scary, and if you have never been arrested, you may not know what to do or who to call first. Depending on the charges against you, you may have to spend the night in jail, then see the judge before you can get bailed out. But when the time comes, there are some things you need to know about hiring a bail bondsman.

How Soon Can Your Get Bail

A lot depends on the charges you are given. If you are charged for something like drunk and disorderly, you can almost always get out as soon as someone comes and pays your bail. However, if you are charged with a crime like driving while intoxicated, you will have to go before the judge to have your bail set. 

Crimes that require the judge to set bail typically come with a higher bail amount than lesser offenses, but you can get a bail bondsman to come and bail you out even for minor offenses if you don't have the cash for bail or anyone else to come and get you. 

Bail Bond Fees/

If you get a bail bondsman to come and bail you out of jail, the fee can vary, but in most cases, it is about ten percent of the bond. The bondsman will explain to you haw that works and what you can use as collateral for the bond. If you are arrested for something that has a very low bail, the bondsman will ask for the ten percent in cash most of the time. 

Larger bails may require a significant asset like a car or a house to secure the bond. The house or car would have to have enough value to cover the cost of liquidating it and the amount of money you owe the bondsman, so if you just bought the car and are still making payments on it, it more than likely is not going to be enough to secure your bond. 

A family home that you own could be an acceptable property, but it still needs to have enough value to cover the bondsman loss if you don't show up for court. 

Appearing in Court

When your court day arrives, all you need to do to complete the bail contract is to show up in court. If you can't get to the court, call your bondsman right away because they may be able to transport you to court. Communicating any issue that comes up during your bail is critical, and the bondsman will try to help, but not appearing is the worst thing that you can do, and the bondsman will start looking for you immediately if you miss your court date. 

For more information, contact a professional such as a bail bondsman.