The advantages of using a bail bondsman lawyer
65If you or a loved one has been arrested for a crime in Texas for the first time, it can be a confusing and scary experience. Your first thought is: How do I get out of jail in the shortest period of time?
When you are arrested for a crime and booked into a jail, you’ll go before a judge. At that time, he’ll decide the terms and conditions of your bail order, or the amount of money it will cost to get you out of jail until your court case is heard. Unless you are deemed a threat to society or a flight risk you shouldn’t be denied bail. Once the bond order is granted by a judge, you’ll be released from jail. The appearance bond order is signed by the defendant or co-signer to guarantee that you’ll appear in all subsequent court proceedings.
That’s where a bail bondsman comes in.
A bail bond agent is a person or company who pays your bail in exchange for guaranteeing your appearance in court at a later date. Bail bond agents cater exclusively to criminal defendants and work to secure their customers' release from incarceration in a short period of time, usually a few hours. In exchange, bond agents require a fee, usually 10 percent of the bail amount. This fee is not refundable and is the bond agent’s payment for posting the bond. So a bail of $100,000 would cost you $10,000. It isn’t cheap, but it will get you or your loved one out of jail in a relatively short period of time.
But bail bond companies aren’t the only ones who perform this service. Legal firms who specialize in bail bond issues also act as bond agents and can post bail as well, freeing you or a loved one from jail in as little as an hour at times. A large benefit of using a Texas bail bondsman lawyer to post your bail is that you can also use them to defend you, creating a more seamless process. Some law firms also offer the advantage of applying any of their bond fees towards their fees for representing you – an advantage traditional bond companies cannot offer. In some cases this could even mean that representation after the payment of the bond fee will be free.
Using a bail bondsman lawyer is also beneficial because they can often reduce an extremely high bond amount and in turn reduce your bond fees. Other services they can offer in your case include counseling on outstanding warrants to lift them and give you a “walk through” arrest and bond process, which is much easier than waiting around to be picked up by the police. Using a bail bondsman lawyer is more convenient and makes more sense than using a traditional bondsman for these reasons.
