How Do Bail Bondsmen Get Paid?
According to the Professional Bail Agents of the United States (PBUS), in 2007, the average wage for a bail bondsman was between $25,000 and $50,000 per year. Depending on your geographical location, you can make more than that. How a bail bondsman gets paid is an important consideration before taking on this demanding, and often exciting, profession.
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Bail Bonds
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Bail bonds are designed to get a friend or relative released from jail without having to pay the entire bail amount, according to BailYes.com. Bail bonds are written contracts between the defendant or co-signer and the bail bondsman. The bondsman guarantees, by posting bail, that the defendant will appear in court on the appointed date.
Bail Bondsman
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A bail bondsman loans people money to pay their bail, according to the Just Cause Law Collective website. The bail bondsman will then give the court a bond and secure the release of the criminal suspect.
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Bondsman Fee
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In most states, the bail amount is set by a judge. A bail bondsman typically charges a fee of 10 percent of the entire amount of bail, and this fee is non-refundable. So, if your bail is $20,000, the fee paid to the bail bondsman would be $2,000.
Additional Fees
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Bail bondsmen often charge additional fees if they have to renew a defendant's surety bond. This means you will pay the bail bondsman an additional percentage of the bail amount. This typically happens when cases take longer than one year.
Collateral
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A bail bondsman may require collateral before posting the bail bond. Bail bondsman require collateral to make sure you appear in court; and if you do not appear, they can sell the collateral. Collateral can be property, cars, stocks, bonds or personal credit.
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References
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