When someone calls you in the middle of the night and says that they have been arrested and need you to post bail bond for them, it may be instinct to agree to do it. It is important to know what you are really agreeing to before you post bail for someone, though. The following guide walks you through a few things you need to take into consideration before posting bond for someone.

You Are Responsible for the Bond

When you go to a bail bond company, you will be required to put down a certain percentage of the bond in cash before the bondsman will sign to have the person released from jail. If the bond is for $20,000, you will be agreeing to pay the entire $20,000 should the person run away and skip out on their court appearance.

You Can be Thrown in Jail for Failure to Pay the Bond

If the person does skip town and you cannot pay the bond, you could be incarcerated for failure to pay. The bond company will come after you for the money and will not accept any excuse. You need to be sure that you will know where the person is at all times when they are released from jail to ensure that you do not find yourself having to pay for the entire bond.

You Can Revoke the Bond at Any Time

If you feel that the person is doing drugs or thinking about skipping town, you can contact the bail bond company right away and explain the situation to them. They will then try to find the individual and will revoke the bond for him or her being a flight risk. The person will then be put back in jail to await their trial and you will no longer be responsible to pay their bond. This is a much better option than having to pay money that you should not owe. You may be asked to help the bail bond company find the person because it will be easier than tracking them down on their own to put them back in jail.

If you are sure that you can trust the person who needs to be bonded out, you can contact a bail bondsman at any time of the day. Typically, there is always someone on hand who can help you quickly so the person can get out of jail as soon as possible.

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