The job of a bail bondsman is to help arrange the payment of bail of a suspect in court. The bondsman either pledges assets or cash as a guarantee and in return most bondsmen charge a fee of 10% of the total bailing amount although some bondsmen ask for more.
To become a bail bondsman you’ll need a good amount of training, insurance and a genuine knowledge of legal procedures and the legal system. A bondsman will act like an agent for a suspect who has been arrest, when appealing bail they must appear before and judge and have the bail amount set. When a suspects wants to appeal for bail they’ll call a bail bondsman who will tell them the necessary amount of money they’ll need to pay for bail. Aside from the additional 10-15% bail fee, collateral may also be require in case the client flees the area or does not appear for his or her court hearing.
Because a bail bondsman deals with people charged or accused of criminal activities, they need to have proper training with the different types of crimes such as theft or drug sales for example. They will also need to understand the physical dangers that they will put themselves in when dealing with criminals and also the financial risk that is taken when they assume responsibility for their client.
A license is required in order to become a bail bondsman so check to see if you meet the necessary qualifications, you also must be above the minimum legal age. Inquire with local authorities what examinations or course need to be taken in order to obtain a license for you area. You’re going to need to be aware of various law statues so in most areas you’ll have to fill out at least a written exam in order to obtain a license.
Once you have been granted a license, you’ll also need to receive insurance to help financially protect yourself from clients who flee the area or don’t appear at court. If a client doesn’t appear at the court the bail bondsman is then required to reimburse the total amount of money for bail. Some bails may be only be a few hundred dollars while others can cost thousands of dollars depending on a number of factors. You’ll need to apply at an insurance company as a recognized bondsman unless you are willing enough to compensate potential losses with your own money.
At times working as a bondsman can be unpredictable and dangerous, and even psychologically demanding at times. Despite the glamor given the job through movies, bondmen are definitely not a choice career for everybody. There is no 9 to 5 schedule like a normal businessman, instead you’ll be on call anytime seven days a week and many time bondsmen are contact in the very early hours of the morning. Despite its hardships and dangers, it can be a very lucrative job especially when you have to deal with very large bail packages.
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