Three Important Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Help Someone With A Bail Bond

When you receive a phone call – possibly in the middle of the night – from someone you know who has been arrested, you'll likely be asked to contact a bail bonds agency on the person's behalf. The person might sound scared or upset, which could prompt you to quickly make the call without giving consideration to whether you should provide assistance in this manner. Remember, when you're posting bond for someone, you're taking responsibility that the person you're helping will attend court – if not, you'll be held financially responsible. Try to avoid rushing into a decision and ask yourself these three questions first.

What Is The Chance That This Person Would Do This For Me?

One of the most important questions you can ask yourself is if the person who is asking for your help would provide the same assistance if the roles were reversed. For a child or spouse with whom you share a close relationship, the answer may be obvious. However, for a relatively new friend or a co-worker, it might be more difficult to answer with any degree of certainty. Give yourself ample time to think about your answer to this question and don't agree to help the person if there is any doubt in your mind.

Can I Rely On The Person To Show Up To Court?

When you help someone with a bail bond, the biggest issue is whether or not the person will show up to court. As such, it's of paramount important for you to assess the person's degree of reliability. For example, if the person in trouble with the law has made a mistake but has a long track record of showing himself or herself to be reliable, you can often feel more comfortable moving forward. However, if the person has a track record of being unreliable – for example, previous brushes with the law, the inability to retain long-term employment and ongoing challenges with drugs or alcohol – this could be a situation from which you should steer clear.

What Is My Main Reason For Helping?

It's valuable to honestly think about why you're trying to help the person. Although each situation is different, you should ideally be wanting to help because the person is a good person who has made a mistake and he or she would do the same for you. You should think twice about helping if the person is estranged from you – perhaps you're tempted to help in an effort to restore your relationship. In many cases, this is not the best reason to offer your assistance.

If you analyze the situation and decide that you want to help this person out, talk to a company like Brad's Bail Bonds to secure the necessary funds.

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