It’s likely that you may have never received such a phone call in your life, but it happens to others all the time — a phone call from a trusted friend or family member that’s been arrested and is in a Georgia jail somewhere. If you ever do get such a call, not only does it mean that they are confident in their trust of you to know that they’ve been arrested, but that they also trust that you can help them get out as quickly as possible. That’s a lot of pressure for someone like you who’s probably never been in such a situation. Luckily, there are many bail bonding companies across the state of Georgia who can help you navigate the process of getting a loved one out of jail. Arm yourself with these three things to ask any bonding company you may be considering.

Ask About Experience

This should be an easy answer for them. How long have they been doing this? Are they licensed to do business in Georgia? Because bail bonding agents in Georgia are officially termed casualty insurance agents, are they registered with the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner? If so, you can use their agent search tool to look up a specific agent. While not every bonding agent is accredited by the Better Business Bureau, that might be a good place to begin in order to see if any individual or company has filed a formal complaint against them. Google and Yelp are also great resources for finding reviews, both good and bad, to help you choose a bail bondsman. When it comes to their experience, you should also ask them if they specialize in the type of case you’re dealing with.

Ask About Expediency

Ask how quickly they’re going to be able to work for you. How quickly will they be able to get your loved one out of jail? The appropriate bonding agent will know what needs to be done, and in which order, in order to facilitate a speedy release. They might even have key contacts in key positions that can assist with expediting a quick and hassle-free release.

Ask About the Expense

While judges set bail amounts based on a specific bail schedule, bail bonds are enforced by the sheriffs’ organizations within each Georgia county. By Georgia law, a bail company may charge up to 12% for bail bonds $10,000 or less and up to 15% for bonds over $10,000. Because of this, it’s important to know how much your bonding agent is going to charge you as a fee, based on the bail amount. Typically, that amount is 10% of the bail amount. Most reputable agents should accept cash and credit cards as a method of payment. Additionally, while it depends on the agent, some might be able to accept collateral or work out a convenient payment plan to help you if you don’t have the money necessary to pay the fee.

Look Up 24-7 Bail Bonds for Professional Service

When it comes to the terrible experience of having someone you know get arrested, you want to be sure you have a dedicated professional on your side to move the process along as quickly and painlessly as possible. In the Metro Atlanta area and all the surrounding counties, your one call should be to the bail bonding experts at 24-7 Bail Bonds. They have the experience of having helped thousands of people in the same predicament, and there’s no reason to think they wouldn’t do the same for you and yours.