If you have a loved one that has been arrested, you may be the person they go to for help. This usually means that you will need to help bail them out and you will need to pay the bail bondsman. But once you have done that and your loved one is released, what other responsibilities do you have? The person that signs the bail contract is called the indemnitor. But if you are signing a bail contract, it is important that you understand what you are responsible for.
Ensure the defendanEnsure they are at every court date
Once your loved one is out on bail, you are now responsible for ensuring that they return for all required court dates. You as the responsible party, need to make sure they do. If not then you will financially be responsible for any fees, and the defendant will be in even more trouble than before.
Pay Additional Fees
If for any reason the defendant doesn’t return for their court dates, then you are going to be the one who has to pay the extra fees. This may include fees to the bail bond company to help get the defendant back.
Pay for all of the bail cost
If your loved one doesn’t return when required then you as the signer of the bail contract will be required to pay for the entire bail amount. This could be thousands of dollars or more! This is why it is so important to make sure that whoever you bail out will return when required. You shouldn’t bail someone out if you think they pose any sort of flight risk.
Be responsible for the defendant
Once you sign the bail contract, you are now responsible for them basically in every way. You can’t just change your mind, once you have bail someone out. It is easy in the stress or heat of the moment to just sign away, but if you do you need to be aware that you could financially be put in a tough spot if your loved one tries to avoid the court dates. So we would encourage you to consider all of the responsibilities and potential liabilities that you could have. However, if you know your loved one and accept these responsibilities, then we would love to help you with all your bail bond needs.
