5 Ways To Pay For Bail When You Can't Afford It

If you are arrested and charged with a crime, the courts will set bail. Essentially, if you post bail, you can get out of jail and go home until your trial. However, if you can't post bail, you have to stay in jail until your trial.

In a study of people who were arrested in California, 70 to 90% pled guilty before their trial. Analysts believe that these people pled guilty before their trials just so they could get out of jail. In other words, if these people had been able to post bail, they could have gotten out of jail, waited for their trial, and potentially avoided conviction.

Have you been arrested? Are you wondering how you can afford to post bail? Then, check out these tips.

1. Use a Credit Card

Most courts are flexible with the payments they will accept, and as a result, you can often use a credit card to post bail. If your courthouse doesn't accept credit cards, you may be able to get a cash advance from your credit card company. Some creditors even offer checks tied to your credit card, and you can make your payment using that.

2. Take the Funds From Your Retirement Account

If you don't have a credit card with enough open credit to cover the cost of your bail, you may want to look into savings accounts. Of course, if you have cash in a traditional savings account or even a money market account, that can work perfectly.

But beyond that, you may want to think about taking money out of your retirement account. You have to pay a tax penalty for making early withdrawals from your retirement accounts, but compared to the alternative of staying in jail until your trial, a penalty may be preferable.

3. Sell Property or Assets

You may also want to consider liquidating property or assets to cover the cost of your bail. You may need a friend or relative to help deal with the sale while you are in jail, but in most cases, you can receive visitors. So, they can advertise the sale, find a buyer, and bring you the paperwork to sign.

4. Borrow From Friends or Family

Unfortunately, selling property or taking funds from your retirement account can be time-consuming, and while you're sitting in jail, every second counts. Ideally, you want to get out of jail so that you can get back to work, take care of your kids, and deal with your other obligations. You can also meet with your lawyer more easily, sleep in your own comfortable bed, and start to prepare for your trial.

Due to all of the advantages of getting out of jail, you may want to reach out to friends or family members. Consider asking them to help you with the cost of bail right now. Then, when you get out, you can repay them by selling property, taking funds from your retirement account, or just making monthly payments.

5. Contact a 24-Hour Jail Bail Services Company

In some cases, you may not be able to explore the options listed above. In other cases, the above options may not cover the entire cost of your bail. In these situations, you may want to contact a 24-hour jail bail services company.

Bail services companies cover the cost of your bail. In return for their services, you typically pay a percentage of the bail amount. In a lot of cases, these companies may accept credit cards or property deeds. This flexibility allows you to combine the payment methods covered above. To learn more, contact a bail services company today.

Share