The 5 Best Tips to Avoid Paying Too Much in Bail Bond Fees
If you or a loved one is arrested, it makes sense that you would do just about anything to get out of jail. However, do not make the mistake of contacting a bail bondsman before you speak with an experienced criminal defense law firm. If you contact a bondsman before talking to a criminal attorney, the bail bond fees could cost you a lot of money.
Here are five things you should know to help you make the best decision on how and whether to post bond for a love one.
1. Bail Bondsman Fees
If you go to a bail bondsman, you will typically be charged a 10% fee to bail your loved one out of jail. That means if bail is set for $50,000, you would have to pay a bondsman a fee of $5,000 as his premium.
2. Attorney Referred Bonds
If you contact and retain a criminal defense lawyer before you talk to a bondsman, you are entitled to an “attorney referred bond.” An attorney referred bond will lower your bail bond fees from 10% to 8%. This means that when bail is set $50,000, you will save $1,000 merely by retaining a much-needed criminal defense lawyer before you post bail. It is a win-win because you will need an attorney to handle your case and you will save money.
3. Your Bail Amount Could Be Lowered
In some cases, it is better not to bail your loved one out until after their first court hearing (called an arraignment). This is because your criminal defense attorney can often convince the judge to lower the bail bond fees or reduce the bail at the arraignment. If the judge releases your loved one “on his own recognizance,” that means you will have to post no bail bond fees at all and you would save $5,000 by hiring a criminal defense attorney before talking to a bail bondsman.
4. Bail Can Be Reduced Before the First Court Appearance
In some counties, your skilled criminal defense attorney can contact the detention release officer on duty and ask that your loved one’s bail be reduced prior to the first court date. A detention release officer is on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Of course if this happens, you will save a large sum of money in bail bond fees.
5. You May Not Actually Have to Pay Bail
In some cases, criminal charges are not filed within the statutory period of two court days after your loved one has been arrested. If this occurs, your loved one must be released from custody without you having to post bail.
For all five of the reasons above, no decision should ever be made to post bail until you have consulted with an experienced criminal defense attorney. Your attorney will explain what should be done based upon the specific facts of your loved one’s case. By doing so, you will not have unnecessarily wasted a large sum of money in bail bond fees. In addition, you will have a criminal defense law firm fighting for your loved one from the earliest possible moment.
Call the Experienced Criminal Defense Attorneys at Wallin & Klarich
If you are interested in posting bail for a loved one, it is important that the first step you take is to contact a criminal defense attorney. At Wallin & Klarich, our skilled and knowledgeable attorneys have over 40 years of experience successfully defending persons facing criminal charges. Do not throw your money away by calling a bail bondsman before you have spoken to a Wallin & Klarich attorney.
With offices in Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks, Torrance, Tustin, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, West Covina and Victorville, there is an experienced Wallin & Klarich Southern California criminal defense attorney near you no matter where you are located.
Call us today at (877) 4-NO-JAIL or (877) 466-5245 for a free phone consultation. We will get through this together.
