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How Long Is the Wait to Get My Bail Money Refunded?
You have just found out your friend, child, or spouse has been arrested. What do you do? Do you put up cash, a property, or seek a bail bondsman? If you put up bail money, how long before you get the money back?
We want to answer these questions and help you understand the bail bond process. Continue reading to find out the information you need about bail bonds to make the right decision.
What Is the Purpose of Bail?
Bail is an incentive to ensure a defendant returns for all required court appearances. The total bail amount is not considered a punishment or a fine; this money is paid as an assurance.
If a defendant does not show up for their appointed court dates, this means they skip bail. The judge issues a bench warrant, and the defendant is arrested. Unfortunately, this means the total bail is forfeited.
Understanding the Differences Between a Bail and Bond
Many people get confused about the differences between bail and bond. Understanding the differences will help you better understand what to expect.
Bail
Bail is the amount of money a person paid to the court to be released from jail. A defendant can also have a friend or family member bail them out of jail.
Bond
Bail bonds are the money posted by a bondsman. Defendants may hire a bondsman when they cannot afford to pay their full bail amount. Hiring a bondsman involves a bail premium fee, a small percentage of the defendant's bail amount.
Will You Get Your Bail Money Back?
When someone puts up cash for their bail, they want to know if the money will be refunded. If you paid cash, you will get all of your bail money back as long as the defendant shows up for all court dates and adheres to the terms of their release.
If you pay a bail agent to post bail bond money, you do not get all your money back. The small percentage fee you pay for bail bonds is for services rendered and is non-refundable.
How Long Will It Take to Get Your Bail Money Back?
Before agreeing to pay or co-sign a bail bond, you need to know about the refund process. How long does it take to get bond money back? What happens if the defendant pleads guilty or is found guilty? You will have to wait until the court process is over before getting the bail money back. The time this takes will depend on the court.
The answer to the question of how long does it take to get bond money back is, depending on the jurisdiction, it generally takes 3-6 weeks. The check has to be cut from the finance department and then mailed to your address.
You may have 100% of the bail money returned if the defendant shows up for all court dates and there are no issues with the terms of their release. Once the court process is over and all court fees have been paid, the refunded bail amount will be sent via a check.
Your correct address must be on file with the court since the bail refund check will be mailed to you. It can take a few weeks for the check to be sent out. Contact the court if you have not received the refund check within six weeks.
What About Hiring a Bail Bond Agent?
Defendants may have the right to hire a bondsman to get them out of jail if they cannot afford their bail. Each state controls the percentage fees bondsmen charge for a bond.
The fee paid to the bondsman is considered a bail bond premium and is not refundable, meaning you won't get this bail money back. Even if the defendant adheres to the terms of their release, shows up for court, and is found not guilty or acquitted, the bondsman keeps the fee amount for their provided services.
Hiring a bail bondsman saves individuals time and money. A bondsman can offer you surety bail or surety bond options. You will not have to worry about coming up with the entire cash bail amount; most defendants get out of jail within 30 minutes to 6 hours.
Most people want to get out of jail as soon as possible. Working with a bondsman is one of the fastest ways to secure the release of a defendant.
Get the Help You Need Today
Dealing with an arrest is difficult. Getting out of jail means waiting on the bail amount to be set by the judge. If you can't afford the posted bail amount, you can ask your attorney to seek a lower amount. You can also hire a bondsman.
Contact us today for help with bail bonds. We will gladly assist you with the bond process and help you understand your options.
