04 Sep 3 Things Parents Should Consider Before Posting Bail for Adult Children
No parent wants to learn that their adult child has been arrested. Even though your child is an adult, it’s natural to want to do whatever it takes to help them out. That includes paying your adult child’s bail. Before you withdraw your life savings and rush to the jail there are a few things you need to consider before posting bail for your adult child.
Can you Afford to Post your Adult Child’s Bail?
Your child should learn how much bail they’ll need shortly after they’ve been arrested. Once you know the amount, it’s time to make an honest assessment of your financial situation. As much as you want to help your adult child, doing so shouldn’t put you in a position where you are no longer able to pay your mortgage or buy groceries for yourself.
If you’re afraid that posting your adult child’s bail will put you in a financial bind, you should contact local California bail bonds businesses for a free bail bonds consultation.
How Quickly Can You Reach Your Child?
The first thing you should ask your newly arrested child is if they are okay. The second thing to learn is where they’re located. If they’ve been arrested in your home city/county, reaching your adult child is easy but things get more complicated if you are currently located in Maryland and they were arrested in California.
If you’re living in a different state, you have two choices. First, you can find someone to act as an intermediary and have them post the bail for you. The person must be trustworthy enough that you’re confident they’ll use the money you wire them to post your adult child’s bail and not simply pocket the money and disappear. In most cases, you’re better off using a bail bondsman who offers low-interest bond instead of a family friend/relation.
If you don’t have someone in the area you can trust, you’ll have to travel to the city/county where your adult child is incarcerated. The travel expenses will have to be considered when you’re trying to figure out if you can afford to post your adult child’s bail.
Can You Trust Your Child to Make Their Court Date?
Posting bail for an adult child requires trust, particularly if you don’t live in the area. You must be confident that they will attend every single one of their court dates. Failing to appear to court will only make your adult child’s situation worse.
Failing to appear in court, which is also called bail jumping, has some serious consequences in California. The original charges don’t go away simply because your child skipped their court date. The bail you posted for your adult child will be forfeited. In many cases, additional charges are filed against your adult child, increasing the chances of them spending time in jail.
If you used personal assets, such as a car or your house as collateral for the bail you could lose them forever.
If you’re worried your adult child will jump bail, it’s in both yours and your child’s best interest to refuse to bail them out.
Contact Happy’s Bail Bonds in Bakersfield for Help
When your adult child has been arrested in California and you need help bailing them out, it is in your best interest to contact Happy’s Bail Bonds in Bakersfield. We’re a family owned bail bonds business. We have been serving the California area for several years and are familiar with all the local jails/courts. We have the resources and skills needed to quickly post your adult child’s bail.
The list of California bail bonds services we provide includes:
• 20% Discount
• Phone approvals
• No hidden fees
• No collateral for working signers
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