Information About Los Angeles Bail Bonds

If you know someone who has been arrested and placed into a Los Angeles jail, bail bonds probably seem somewhat like a miracle at this moment. However, before you hire a bail bondsman, there are certain things you should be aware of.

Here are questions to consider before and when you need to find a professional and effective Los Angeles bail bonds company.

Do You Need A Bondsman?

The first question you should ask yourself is whether or not you need to hire a bail bondsman. Sometimes, people may be able to afford the bond themselves. For example, if the bail is only a few hundred dollars, you can take cash or a cashier’s check to the Los Angeles jail or court and bail out the defend without a bondsman.

In fact, no matter what the bail amount is, you can pay it in cash and you will get the money back at the conclusion of the case. Keep in mind, however, that some criminal cases last for years, so your money will be tied up for some time.

Additionally, Los Angeles County has some of the highest bail amounts in the country. In most cases the bond is set higher than what can be readily afforded. The average Los Angeles bail bond is around $25,000. Folks with bail exceeding $10,000 and up to (or over) a million dollars, probably want to look into obtaining a bondsman.

How Does Bail Work In L.A.?

When you’re in this situation, it’s important to know how the bail bond process itself works. The entire process requires four different parties attention including: the bail bondsman, the defendant, the cosigner and the court. At times it may be acceptable for the defendant to be the cosigner. There may also be a need for multiple cosigners depending on the risk involved in the bond.

For the bail bonds process to be started and completed, there has to be a cosigner. The cosigner (most likely you in this case) will serve as a guarantor. This means, you are providing the bail bond company a guarantee that the defendant will show up to his or her future court dates as required. If the defendant skips their court date, the bail bondsman will rely on the cosigner to help locate the defendant. Keep in mind, most people simply go to court. There is only a problem if the defendant decides to actively evade going to court.

As the cosigner (known as the “indemnitor”) you will sign a contract and pay for the bond. Bail bonds in Los Angeles cost 10% of the total bail amount. So, for a $25,000 bail, the non-refundable fee is $2,500.  Since this is still a considerable amount of money, you may need to ask about bail bond payment plans.

After the contract is signed and payment is arranged, the bondsman will take the bail bond to the Los Angeles jail in person. The jailer will process the bond and the defendant will be released. The timing for this part of the process is up to the jail. Some Los Angeles jails, such as the Men’s Central Jail or the Lynwood Women’s Jail, are very busy and defendants may not be released for 12 or more hours. Other, smaller LA jails, such as the Malibu-Lost Hills Jail, are able to process a bail bond in as little as an hour.

 

To get an excellent service bail bonds in Los Angeles, it’s important to keep these things in your mind as you go through the research process.

 

 

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