Whether it is a ticket or any other type of run-in with the law, the fact of the matter is it will be a hit to your wallet but an arrest is a hurdle all in itself and financially could cause some major issues. While unfortunately there is no way to avoid any type of financial liability, there are ways where you can at least minimize it some. Here are a few ways to save some money when dealing with an arrest.
Opt for a public defender
When it comes to arrests everyone is entitled to a lawyer to help you defend yourself in a court of law but private lawyers can be extremely expensive. The law, however, does offer help for people who cannot afford a private lawyer in the way of a public defender. A public defender will help you with your case at no cost but it is important to realize that with this you will be working with someone who is handling many cases at the same time so they will not be able to devote as much time and resources as perhaps a private lawyer would. With that said though, they will still work to aid you in defending your side and can help avoid a huge bill in the future.
Use a bail bondsman over cash bail
If a bond is offered to negotiate a release, typically two options are used in order to pay for the bond. One is called a cash bond is where the defendant pays the entire cost of bond upfront and most of that money will be returned (minus court fees and fines) within about 6 months after a trial or sentence has been determined. The other option is called a surety bond and it is when a defendant works with a bail bondsman and pays just 10% down on the cost of the bond. This 10% won’t be refundable because it is the fee for using the services of a bail bondsman but you won’t need to pay anything further. While this may seem to be more expensive in theory, the fact is that most cannot afford to have a huge amount of money not available within their grasp which makes this option a far less abrupt disruption to their finances since you would only have a small fraction compared to the full cost.
Follow the rules so extra fines don’t add up
For some, it may seem easy to just not show up to court after being released or others may end up getting in trouble again while out on bail but it all comes down to the more you stay out of trouble the less money you will have to spend. That’s because every charge that is added is another potential (and expensive) fine you will have to pay not to mention more potential jail time. The best way to save money after an arrest is to avoid any more trouble overall.
While unfortunately, these tips won’t take away all fines and costs, hopefully, it can help to ease the burden even a bit so that you will be able to bounce back and recover quicker.
