When it comes to bail bonds, it could be tempting to just pay all in cash if you have the resources to avoid the bail bondsman service charge but in a lot of ways it might actually cause more problems than fix. Here are some of the reasons why going with a bail bondsman may be the better option even if you can pay cash
Frees up your money
One of the biggest drawbacks of paying for a cash bond is that you will need to come up with a significant amount of money on the spot and this is money you may not get back for months. If you have just enough to pay for the bond but it will leave you checking or savings account tapped out then it can lead to problems with how to go about day-to-day living. When you go with a bail bondsman however you only need to come up with 10% of the bond cost and that’s all you will need. This may not be refundable but it does allow for perhaps more money to get a good attorney to defend your case or it may just be money one needs to survive.
You have more control in paying fines and fees
Something that many might not know is that when someone pays a cash bond they will get their money refunded provided they show up to all their scheduled court appearances, but this money will have any fines or fees automatically subtracted from the amount before it is returned. This means you will get back significantly less than what you put in. Now these are payments that you will have to make anyways but it can be frustrating for some to have no say in how it is paid or no options for payment plans or anything else if needed. Sometimes when such a huge amount of money is used for bond, it wipes people out and getting back less than what they thought could pose an issue.
You can possibly get out of jail faster
Most people just don’t have the type of money a bond requires lying in their check account which means transfers will have to be done or arrangements will have to be made to pull the amount together. This could lead to possibly days longer in jail then one needs to be. With a bail bondsman, once the paperwork has been completed and the 10% paid, it is usually a matter of hours before the defendant can be released.
Overall, if you are someone who has a lot of resources (which in general tends to make the bond higher anyways) and you can afford to pay the entirety of the bond without any real financial impact in having that money tied up, then it makes sense to go that way to avoid the non-refundable fee. However, if you are someone who needs flexibility and time to make the financial burden of an arrest work then a bail bondsman may be the better option.
