How Do Bail Bonds Work?

Contrary to popular belief, bail bonds are not complex. They’re possible to explain without legal slang. But it easy difficult to find a simple explanation anywhere of what exactly a bail bond is and how they work.

So, we’re here to help out with that. In this article, we’ll break down just exactly what a bail bond is in simple English. No legal jargon, just easy to comprehend language.

What Are Bail Bonds? 

By definition, a bail bond is simply a “written promise signed by a defendant and surety to ensure that a criminal defendant will appear in court after the scheduled time and date, as ordered by the court”.

That’s pretty much all the information you need in order to understand what bail bonds are, yet somehow, the definition is still vague. It says nothing about the circumstances that require the defendant to post a bail bond, nor does it explain when, how, and why this bail bond must be posted.

Simply said, a bail bond is a guarantee that the defendant will appear in court after being released from prison on bail. Only instead of bail, and because the defendant can’t pay its full amount, the defendant posts a bail bond with a bail bondsman. Unlike bail, which is given to the court, a bail bond is given by a bail agent.

How Do Bail Bonds Work?

If the defendant can’t pay for their bail in cash, they’re allowed to make an agreement with a bail agent, also called a bail bondsman, from a security bond company. The defendant pays a premium to the bail agent, which is typically a certain percentage of the bail amount set by the court. With A Signature Only Bail Bonds Inc, our percentage is there standard 10%, but you’ll only have to put 5% down.

For the rest of the full amount, the defendant signs over anything valuable to serve as a collateral. After they appear in court and the case is resolved, the defendant gets their collateral back, while the bail agent gets to keep their premium. Whether or not the defendant is found guilty is not important.

However, if the defendant fails to appear in court, the bail agent still gets to keep their premium, while the rest of the full bail amount is covered with collateral, which is now signed over from the bail agent to the court. In Florida and beyond, the bail bondsman’s part is typically 10% of the full bail amount.

If you’re reading this on behalf of a defendant who is imprisoned in Florida, this process applies to all Broward County bail bonds, Miami bail bonds, just as well as Palm Beach County bail bonds. Look no further than A Signature Only Bail Bonds Incorporated for a reliable bail bondsman near you. The only collateral you need to provide is your signature.

Give us a call today if you or a loved one are seeking a bail bond in Broward, Miami, or Palm Beach County today.