Even though no one assumes that they will be arrested, the odds of you spending some time behind bars is greater than you probably suspect. It’s estimated that one third of all American adult have been arrested on felony charges. That number goes up significantly if you add misdemeanor charges into the mix.
What does that mean to you? It means that even if you’re never arrested, the odds are extremely good that you’ll get a call from a loved one who is behind bars. When that call comes, you’re going to want to know was much as you can about bail and bail bonds. Knowing the difference between secured and unsecured bonds is an excellent place to start your education.
Understanding Secured Bonds
A bail bond becomes secured when you are asked to put up collateral. The bail bonds agency you’re dealing with will decide if you need a secured bond based on the information you provide. If the charges and your loved one’s personality suggest that they are a flight risk, you’ll be asked to secure the bond.
There are a few different ways you can secure the bond. The most common method is using a house or car. As long as you own them and don’t owe money on them, we’re happy to accept them as security.
Secured bail bond are considerably easier to get than an unsecured bail bond.
Understanding Unsecured Bail Bonds?
Unsecured bail bonds are reserved for individuals who we don’t think are flight risks. When determining whether a client should get a secured or unsecured bail bond, we look at their ties to the community, they’re criminal history, the charges filed against them, and how large a bail bond they need.
If we feel that you’re not a flight risk and are willing to take a chance with an unsecured bail bond, the only thing you’re required to provide us is a fee that adds up to 10% of the requested bail. The smaller the bail bond you need, the smaller the fee.
What if I Can’t Afford the Bail Bond Fee
We understand that times are tough. Money is hard to come by. We know that many people are living paycheck to paycheck and simply don’t have the funds needed to cover even a 10% fee.
In an effort to make California bail bonds accessible to everyone, we’ve created a flexible payment plan. We will work closely with you to come up with a payment program that works into your budget. You can rest assured that there are no hidden fees attached to the payment plan. Best of all, our payment program is interest free so even if you have to make payments, you will still only have to pay 10% of the bail bond.