What To Expect When Becoming A Bail Agent
21st March 2009
Congratulations on taking the first step towards a new profession. Many people are becoming tired of their old jobs and want the freshness of a new job and career. If you have decided on being a bail agent, then you need to know what your job is going to entail. It may not always be as easy as you think it will be but you will find your rewards if you look hard enough.
A bail agent is someone who comes into the jail to bail a defendant out of jail. They work for a bail agency that guarantees the amount of the bond for a ten percent fee. This allows the defendant to be free from sitting in jail until the hearing. Once the judge sets the bond amount, the defendant places a call to a bail bond agency and is then able to get out. The agent is the Good Samaritan by trusting that the defendant will honor his or her word and show up for court.
Bail Bond agents are usually trained on the job though there are classes a person can take to become an agent. These classes are usually held locally and focus on the local laws, as well as the proper paperwork procedure for each bond written. Further classes can teach the bail bond agent to also be a bail enforcement agent, also known as a bounty hunter, in case the defendant skips out on the bond.
Skipping out on a bond is when the defendant does not show up to his or her court appearance. The bond is then forfeited until the time that the bounty hunter or bail bondsman can track down the individual and deliver them to the jail. This is obviously the riskier side of the job but there are other things to consider as well, such as hours that vary. Many agents are awakened in the middle of the night and must not be far from their phone. This can make life a bit difficult when trying to plan around work hours.
Being a bail agent is a full time job that does not always pay that well. As Stan Wilson of Bail Bonds Now says, “One month it may be great money and the next there may be only a few bonds written.” Advertising plays a huge role as does your relationship with the local police officers. The more advertising and word of mouth that gets around, the more business you will have.
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