Are bail bonds worth it?

If your loved one is in jail and you’re wondering, “Are bail bonds worth it?”, then the answer is almost always yes.

Bail isn’t exactly cheap, and the majority of people cannot afford to post bail on their own. This is why they turn to a bail bond company.

When you post bail with a company instead of on your own, you’re only responsible for a 10% fee instead of the entire bail amount. The bail bond company will post bail on your behalf and get your loved one out of jail usually within 24 hours.

This particular facet of bail bonds is the most important facet.

Unfortunately, the court system does not work nearly as fast as it should work. And because of this, people (even innocent people) may wait weeks or even months in jail before they are able to attend court and plead their case.

Because of this, bail bonds are worth it.

When are bail bonds not worth it?

Keep in mind, we did say that bail bonds are almost always worth it. In other words, there are times when posting bail is not worth it.

In our opinion, if your loved one is not trustworthy or has posted bail and skipped court on a previous occasion, then you may want to reconsider signing a bail bond on their behalf.

If your loved one skips court, you will be on the hook for the entire bail amount.

Bail is only a temporary payment to the court. It is refunded once the court proceedings are over. If you did not seek out a bond and paid the full amount to the court on your own instead, then this means you will not receive a refund from the court. If you did work with a bail bond company, then this means that the bail bond company has the right to seize any collateral you signed over to them. For many people, collateral includes homes or vehicles.

So again, if you do not trust that your loved one will return to court, then you need to heavily reconsider signing a bond for them.

Learn more important facts about bail bonds: