Many people wrongly assume that bail bonds are for people who are short on cash. However, bail bonds can be just as useful for people who can afford to pay their bail on their own. Bail bonds are a great means of getting out of jail. Even if you can afford to pay your full bail, it may be smart for you to secure a bail bond instead.
Reason #1: Keep Your Money Free
One of the best reasons to not pay your bail fully in cash, and to secure a bail bond instead, is that you are able to keep your cash-free. Paying every last dollar, you have to get out of jail is really not a smart move. You still need to pay your bills and other expenses. It makes more financial sense to keep as much money as possible while you await your date in court.
Instead of throwing away your entire emergency fund when your emergency situation is just starting, take some of that money and use it to put up the portion of the bond that you will need to secure a bail bond. Then, you will have money to deal with the fall-out of going to jail in the first place and will have money to take care of your family.
Reason #2: Secure a Public Defender
Public defenders get a lot of slack in the media and entertainment world, but the truth is that defenders are extremely helpful. Hiring an attorney can be extremely expensive, especially a defense attorney. A defender can allow you to get a strong legal defense without going broke.
If you pay your entire bail amount with cash, this will show the courts that you have access to a large amount of cash. This can result in you not being appointed a public defender because you have shown you have the means to pay for a private attorney. If you don't have the money to pay for both a private defense attorney and your bail, save your bail money and get a bail bond.
Reason #3: Higher Risk of Bail Forfeiture
Finally, you run a high risk of your bail being forfeited for a silly reason, like the case being re-assigned to a different department. If you show up for the wrong court date or are a couple of minutes late to court, your entire cash bail could be forfeited to the court.
When you pay a bail bond, only a small portion of the bond would go to the court, and if you can show that revoking of bail was not warranted, you will not have to pay the full bail amount to the bail bond agent.
When it comes to getting out of jail, even if you have the cash to pay the entire bond upfront, you should still secure a bail bond through a bail bond agent. A bail bond will ensure you access to a public defender, allow you to not drain your entire savings up-front, and provide you protection against bail forfeiture.