Can Bail Fit Within A Limited Budget?

About Me
Applying For A Loan

Hi there, my name is Becky Suedel. I am excited to share my knowledge about loans and financing on this site. The loan process vets applicants to confirm that they have the means to pay back the total amount borrowed plus fees and other charges. During this time, applicants must produce proof of income and other documents to allow the loan processors to complete the application process. On this site, I hope to help prepare my readers for the loan application process. You can read my content daily to learn about how to qualify for a home or car loan in record time.

Search

Can Bail Fit Within A Limited Budget?

27 December 2018
 Categories: , Blog


There's a reason why many people will fight tooth and nail for their bail. Waiting for trial is a difficult time and it can be even harder when you're behind bars. In fact, many people will argue that their trials would have gone a lot better had they been granted bail.

However, being granted bail is only the first part of the hurdle. Bail is often set high to dissuade the suspect from fleeing. This high bail is very often beyond the means of many people. Can you really be bailed out if you have a very small budget?

The Challenges of Cash Bail

Paying a cash bail would be ideal for many people. As long as you attend all required hearings and you don't infringe any other terms of the bail, you will get your money back.

Unfortunately, bail can be set at hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. This will depend on the crime or the person being charged for the crime.

For many people, such high bail amounts almost certainly mean they won't be able to afford to pay cash bail. This is why many people chose to use bail bond services.

What Makes Bail Bond a Suitable Option

When you go to a bonds agent, you will not be required to pay the full bail amount. Instead, the bonds agent will be held liable for the full amount by the court if you fail to show up to court. In return, you'll pay the bonds agency a percentage of the amount of bail that had been set.

This percentage usually starts at 10%. Therefore, if your bail is set at $10,000, you'll have to pay the agency $1,000. When you can't afford to pay the $10,000 cash bail and don't want to spend several months behind bars waiting for your trial, paying $1,000 makes a lot of sense.

What to Do If You Have a Fixed Budget

As easy as bonds agency may make it, if your bail is in the range of hundreds of thousands of dollars or higher, you may still struggle to pay the agency. Luckily, there are many agencies that will go to great lengths to make things work for you.

If you have a very tight budget, there are agencies that will offer you flexible payment plans to spread out the payment. This can make it easier to fit your bail within your budget.