If you just found out that your loved one has been arrested, the first thing you'll want to do is get them out of jail as fast as possible. Before you can do that, your loved one will need to attend a bail hearing. Once bail has been set, you'll be able to arrange a bail bond for them. Bail bonds are a way to secure a release from jail without coming up with the entire bail amount – which, depending on the offense can be quite high. In most cases, a person can be released on a bail bond after posting about 10% of the total bail amount. Posting bail for someone does come with specific requirements and risks. Here are two things you need to know about posting bail.

You'll Need Collateral or Good Credit

Before a bail bondsman will work with you, you'll need to provide collateral or good credit. This is because you'll only be providing a percentage of the total bail amount. The rest will be guaranteed through the bond. If you have good credit, you'll be able to post bail for your loved one without collateral. However, if you have bad credit – or no credit – you'll need to provide collateral to a bail bond company like Kwik Bond Inc. The combined collateral and cash payment will need to be valued at about the total cost of the bail. This means that if bail has been set at $100,000, you'll need to come up with about $10,000 in cash, and about $90,000 in collateral.

You're Assuming All the Risk

When posting bail for someone – including a loved one – it's important to understand that you'll be the one who's assuming all the risk. While out on bail, your loved one will be required to obey certain rules, which will include the following:

• Remain in the county where the arrest was made
• Obey all laws
• Attend all scheduled court hearings

If your loved one fails to follow those rules, their bail may be revoked. If that happens, a warrant will be issued for their arrest, and they'll be returned to jail for the remainder of the trial. It also means that you'll lose all money and collateral that you posted for the bail.

If your loved one has been arrested, and needs to post bail, you'll need to contact a bail bondsman in the area where the arrest was made. The information provided here will help you understand how posting bail will affect you.