When seeking bail, timing is essential to the performance of your bail agreement. You don't want to risk any delays in seeking a bail bondsman or submitting the proper documentation. Waiting too long to take action could significantly delay the process. To ensure you're fully prepared to bail out someone close to you, read further on what to expect ahead of time. At Smith American Bail Bonds, we offer affordable bail bonds in St. Joseph County, Indiana. Whether you live in Mishawaka or South Bend, we can help guide you through the bail bonding process and provide you with reliable surety bonds. Our 24-hour bail bonds have earned us a positive reputation in St. Joseph County, making us the preferred choice of countless residents throughout the area.

 

How to post a bond with a bail bondsman in St. Joseph County, Indiana

1.) Contact Smith American Bail Bonds at 317-531-5447

2.) You will be greeted by a professional bondsman.

3.) The Bail Bonding Agent will request the defendant's name and date of birth to conduct a jail inmate search and collect all required information including the defendant’s charges to move forward on posting the bond on the defendant’s behalf. Once the information has been collected you will be required to meet the requirements as an indemnitor also known as the signer or cosigner of the bond.

 

The requirements

•Must be 18 years or older.

•Valid State ID or Be a permanent resident.

•Employed 3 to 6 years.

•If not employed must have been unemployed no more than 3 months. If you are unemployed, you may be required to have a co-signer.

•Must be able to pay 8% or 10% on the bond.

•Must complete bail bonding indemnitor application. Along with other required bail bonding documents.

 

 5.) Once all bail bonding documents and all requirements have been met and completed Smith American Bail Bonds Bail Bonding Agent will post the surety bond or surety cash bond at the St. Joseph County jail.

6.) Once the defendant is released from jail, he will be required to meet with a bail bondsman from Smith American Bail Bonds to complete his defendant bail bonding application and receive his bail bonding post-release conditions that he or she will have to follow pending his or her case.

 

St. Joseph County Indiana Bail Bonding Services

1.) 8% bail bonds

2.) 10% bail bonds

3.) 24-hour bail bonding

4.) Bail bonding services on all holidays

5.) Fast and friendly service

6.) Online bail bonding services

7.) Onsite bail bonding services

 

What is Surety Bail?

 

The two most common types of bail bonds are cash bonds and surety bonds. A cash bond refers to a cash amount paid to the judicial system to bail someone out of jail. If the defendant appears in court on the designated date, the court system will return the cash bond to you in full. In the event that the defendant fails to appear in court, the full cash amount must be returned to the judicial system.

A surety bond has the same end goal as a cash bond. However, the process by which the money reaches the court looks a little different. First, an individual must request money from a bail bondsman, otherwise known as a guarantor. The bondsman then requires a down payment from the individual, which is typically set at 10% or more of the full bail amount. At Smith American, we only request 8% of the bail amount, making us a top competitor in 24-hour bail bonds.

To obtain the required bail amount, the bondsman typically contracts with a surety company. The surety company then pays the full bail amount on behalf of the individual who initially requested the bond. Once this process is complete, the defendant is bailed out and officially released from prison.

 

Benefits of Surety Bail Bonds

 

Although surety bonds and cash bonds share certain similarities, there are advantages associated with surety bonds that don't apply to cash bonds. Understanding these benefits can help you determine whether a surety bail bond is right for your specific needs.

One of the biggest advantages of a surety bond is convenience. It isn't necessary to have the full amount of cash on hand to cover the bond. Instead, you only need to pay the initial fee. As long as the person being released on bail appears in court as required, you won't need to pay the full bail bond amount.

Additionally, unlike cash bail bonds, surety bonds don't involve any deduction of fees. We discussed earlier that a cash bond will be repaid to you in full if the defendant appears in court. However, there is a caveat to this. The court system will deduct any fees or fines associated with closing the case from the total bond amount. As a result, the money repaid to you will end up being lower than expected. Surety bonds, on the other hand, do not come with any unpleasant surprises such as this.

Another alluring feature of surety bonds is the initial down payment is only a small percentage of the total bail amount. Most down payments are set at or above 10% of the total. However, our bail bonds in St. Joseph County require a much smaller payment of only 8%. This relatively low initial cost makes our bonds much more accessible to Indiana residents who wish to bail a loved one out of jail.

 

Put Your Bail Bond Needs in the Hands of Smith American Bail Bonds

 

When it comes time to seek out a bail bond, the sheer number of options available to you may seem overwhelming. That's why our experts strive to make affordable, high-quality 24-hour bail bonds as accessible as possible to residents of St. Joseph County. From Mishawaka to South Bend and beyond, our reliability and convenience have made us the preferred choice of countless individuals throughout the county. As a highly reputable provider of bail bonding services, we take pride in offering fast and friendly surety bond services.

If you're interested in learning more about cash bonds and surety bonds or need a cheap bond as soon as possible, feel free to reach out to us today. Our experts will work with you to help you choose the right bail bond for your needs. By taking the time to understand our customers' unique goals, we ensure optimal service tailored to suit each individual who chooses to work with us. We look forward to helping you.