Attorney Bonds Versus Bail Bonds
If you have been arrested for any type of crime, you could have the option of being released from jail on a bail bond. There are a lot of different types of bail bonds that you can use, but the one that usually comes to mind is a surety bond. This is where a third party, generally a bondsman, will pay your bail and holds your bond. However, there is another option available and that is attorney bonds. This is a type of surety bond and the process will be the same, but there are some differences that you need to know about.
What Is An Attorney Bond?
An attorney bond is like a surety bond where you will be released from jail before your trial. With this type of bond, you will pay your attorney a standard non-refundable fee which is usually 10% of your bond amount. This will be used by the attorney to secure your bail bond.
A bondsman or attorney will not have to pay the full amount of your bond for you to be released from jail. The 10% fee you pay will be used to secure the bond as well as get you released.
How An Attorney Bond Differs
While the process that you go through to get the bond will be the same, there are some ways in which the attorney bond will differ from your standard surety bond. The first difference is that the attorney who holds your bond will have to be the one that will represent you in court. Your lawyer will need to file paperwork with the court that states that they are going to be acting as your attorney. It is important to note that the lawyer who holds your bond does not have to be the only one working on your case, but will need to be involved in some way other than holding the bond.
As this is the case, you will need to ensure that you are hiring an attorney based on their ability and experience in handling your case. You should not choose an attorney solely on their willingness to offer an attorney bond. Once you are out of jail, you will have to use an attorney and you will want to hire someone who is able to adequately represent you in court. If you are not able to find an attorney with the correct expertise, you should look at working with a bondsman instead.
Another difference involves the costs of your defense. There are a lot of attorneys who offer bonds that allow their clients to use the 10% fee against their legal costs. If you hire a bondsman, you will need to pay the usual fee and the costs associated with your legal representation. This means that when you have an attorney bond, you could be taking care of your bond and part of your legal costs.
Attorney bonds are also able to streamline your case. When you have your attorney work on your bail from the start, you will be released sooner than when you work with a bondsman. Certain legal hoops can be bypassed as your attorney takes the paperwork straight to the judge.
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