Nobody wants a loved one, friend or family member behind bars. However, certain circumstances can go beyond our control and you suddenly find them in handcuffs. Fortunately, the US justice system provides a way for the accused to wait for their trial while maintaining their freedom in the form of bail bonds. 

The Code of Criminal Procedure defines a bail bond as a written undertaking made by the accused and his representatives assuring that they will appear before the courts to answer criminal accusations made upon them. To ensure that the accused will stay true to this promise, the law also requires them to deposit a certain amount of money to the courts. This amount will be given back to them once the condition of their bail bond is fulfilled. The amount of bail bonds typically depends on the gravity of the crime. 

Of course not everyone has this amount of money just sitting there and reserved for situations like this. That’s why many people turn to bail bond companies since they seem to be the best option, or are they?

Bail bond companies pay the court the full bail bond amount required while charging only 10 – 15% of that amount to their clients. Sounds like a good deal, right? No. Just imagine if the required bail bond is set at $100,000.00, you will then have to pay around $10,000 to $15,000 to the bail bond company. Once your loved one gets released you will still have to hire a good defense lawyer to ensure their continuous freedom. In short, you’re paying thousands of dollars for temporary freedom.

While bail bond companies typically issue surety bonds to get you out of jail, personal bonds are also allowed in Travis County. Personal bonds are a type of bail bond which does not require the accused to pay the bail amount for them to be released. This type of bond will only require them to pay the money once they fail to show up in court during their scheduled trial. In Austin, personal bonds are applicable for any type of offense. The good thing is a criminal defense lawyer can post a personal bond on behalf of the accused and this usually costs them much less. Why? Since the accused is not required to pay the bail money upfront, the only thing they’ll have to pay are the lawyer fees which they’ll have to shell out anyway if they use a bail bond agent. Lawyers who issue personal bonds also do not require co-signors or collateral.

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