The moment you find out that a friend or loved one is in jail, your immediate thought is to bail them out. You don’t want them sitting in a cell for any longer than necessary. There are a few steps you will need to take.

Wait for the Hearing

You will not be able to bail someone out of jail until there has been a hearing. This is when the person will plead guilty or not guilty. At that point, the judge will set the bail amount. Once bail is set, you will be able to pay that bail in order to release them into your custody.

Obtain a Bail Bond

When you are bailing someone out of jail, you don’t want to pay the full bail amount. Although you will receive that money back when they show up for their trial, that could be months away. Additionally, you may not have $10,000 (or more) to cover the cost of the bail.

The quickest solution is to get a bail bond. This will allow you to pay approximately 10 percent of the bail amount. A bondsman will be able to pay the bail so that your loved one can be released from jail.

They’re in Your Custody

It’s important to remember that when you’re the one responsible for paying the bail money, the person charged with the crime is released into your custody. A bail bonds company has your contact information. When the person on bail doesn’t show up for a court date, the bonds company doesn’t get their money back. They’ll then come looking for you to settle up on the money lost.

Finding a bail bond company will make it easier for you to bail someone out of jail. Once you have been informed that someone is in jail, work with a bail bondsman to learn of the full process.