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A Quick Guide to Bail Bonds

While most people have heard of bail bonds agencies, few actually understand what they are or how the bail bonds process works until a loved one is arrested and requires a bail bond.

The main function of a bail bonds agency is to provide the accused with the means to leave jail. The way bail works is that the accused gives the court a pre-determined amount of money that guarantees that the accused will attend all of their court dates. Once the accused has attended their court dates and the case is resolved, they’ll get their money back.

The problem many people encounter is that the process can take a really long time and they can’t afford to post bail and still pay their bills. This is where Clovis Bail Bonds enters the picture. Instead of having to cover the entire bail amount, you pay us 10%. This 10% serves as our fee. Once you’ve paid the 10% or created a payment plan with us, we’ll go to the court/jail and post a bail bond that covers the entire amount of your required bail. As soon as the paperwork is complete, you’re free to go home.

As long as you follow all the terms of your bail, including attending your court dates, you’ll hardly hear from us. At the conclusion of your case, the court returns our bail bond and your connection to us ends.

What Documents Do I Need Before Starting the Bail Process?

When you find out that one of your loved ones has been arrested and needs you to help them out with bail, the first thing you become aware of is time. Even though you technically have as much time as you want to bail them out, most of us quickly become desperate and want to get them out of jail and safe at home as quickly as possible.

Having all the documentation close at hand when you contact Clovis Bail Bonds does wonders to speed up the process. Having the documentation sitting in front of you when you initially contact us means we can go straight from the free consultation to filling out the contract. You won’t believe how much time this saves.

The first thing we need is proof of ID. This can be in the form of a California driver’s license or a state-issued identification card. Not only does the ID have to have a photo on it, but it must also be current. The state will not allow us to accept an ID that has expired. We will need a photo ID for every single person that’s on the contract, which means if you’re co-signing, we’ll need your photo ID and we’ll need the loved one you’re helping bail out ID as well.

Proof of residence is the next piece of documentation we request. This isn’t as difficult to come up with as you might think. It just needs to be a formal piece of documentation that has your name and address on it. Many people use utility bills, others provide us with a bank statement.

Next comes the proof of income. If you can pay the entire 10% on your own, we won’t need this, but if you’re entering into our flexible bail bonds payment plan, we need to use the proof of income to determine that you’re able to keep up with the payments.