If you are charged with a crime, you will have to see the judge before you know what your bail is going to be set at. In some cases, the judge will set the bail high enough to make it hard for you to pay it because of the severity of the crime.
Finding a Bondsman
Once your bail is set, you will more than likely need to find a bail bondsman to work with. Not every bondsman is going accept you as a client so you may need to check with a couple of companies before you find one that can handle your bail. The jail will be able to help you find contact information for local bail bonds companies if you need to call one.
The bail bondsman will come out and meet with you at the jail and talk to you about the charges, the bail amount, and your situation to determine whether or not they feel you are a good risk or not. Not every bail company will take a chance if your bail is set extremely high or if they feel there is a chance you will flee once you are out of jail.
Securing Your Bail
In order to pay your bail, the bond company will want a way to secure the bail. Collateral for the bail may be as simple as a third party signing a contract and agreeing to pay the money back to the bond company if you do not show up for court. In some cases, the collateral can be a physical item like a house or a car, but the process of liquidating those assets can make them less desirable than a simple ten-percent fee and a repayment contract.
Missing a Court Date
If you think you are going to miss your court date, contact the court to get your case continued and let yout bondsman know as soon as you do. The bondsman can help you figure out what needs to happen and may find a way to get you to court. If a ride is all you need, the bondsman may come and pick you up themselves, instead of letting you miss court.
A missed court date is enough reason for your bondsman to revoke your bail and send you back to jail until your hearing comes up. The bondsman can revoke the bail for any reasons so make sure you have a clear understanding of the guidelines that the bondsman wants you to follow.