Being a bail bond co-signer requires a lot of responsibility, but even more trust. Many bail bonds require a co-signer. So, what does this job entail? Here are our answers to the most common bail bond cosigner-related questions we receive.

Question: Who can be a co-signer?
Answer: Anyone who the defendant can get to be a co-signer, can be one. This responsible adult must be in good standing with the law, meaning they cannot be in jail, and they must agree to be the co-signer; they cannot be forced.

Question: Does the co-signer do anything, besides sign the bail bond forms?
Answer: Most definitely. The co-signer is responsible for making sure the defendant shows up on time for all court appointments. If the defendant is responsible and goes to all of his or her court appointments without hesitation, that is great. However, if the defendant is thinking of skipping court or does not have transportation, it is up to the co-signer to sway them to go to court or arrange transportation.

Question: What if the defendant misses court, whether it was intentional or accidental?
Answer: Then the co-signer will have to pay the remainder of the bail, forfeit any collateral he or she may have pledged, and the bail bond will be terminated because the agreement was violated.

Question: So, the co-signer gets the short end of the stick, and it is not smart to agree to be a cosigner, even if the defendant insists there will not be any problem?
Answer: No. Co-signers have rights. They may withdraw their name from the bail bond at any time if they grow concerned that the defendant will be troublesome. The co-signer faces no penalty. The defendant will be taken back into custody unless he or she can find a new co-signer.

Still have questions? We at California Bail Bond Store have the answers. Feel free to Chat With Us online or call us at 877-793-2245 any time to get your questions answered, to get a free consultation, or to begin the bail bond process.

Just as with anything else, there are pros and cons to being a co-signer to someone’s bail bond, not matter how tight of a relationship you have with them. Essentially a co-signer does is sign off on a bail bond to ensure the legibility of it, taking responsibility for the defendant. Let’s weight the pros and cons to being a co-signer:

Pros:
• Because you are financially responsible for the defendant, you will very likely want to keep a close watch on them. You can keep a better eye on them to ensure they stay out of trouble. This is critically important to those who love the defendant most.
• You are responsible for ensuring the defendant goes to court. So similarly, you will be doing everything in your power to see the defendant gets the best outcome of his or her trial by making sure the process runs as smooth as possible.
• While co-signing the bond is legally binding, you can request to withdraw this, especially if you cannot trust the defendant.
• You can require release conditions of the defendant, such as drug testing, to get an analysis of their condition and coherency.

Cons:
• Co-signing a bail bond is a legally binding. You are now financially responsible for paying the bail agent’s premium fee. You are now also responsible for paying consequential fees and the full bail amount if the defendant does not show up in court.
• Any collateral you put up for the bail bond can be taken from you if the defendant fails to appear in court.
• You will endure more emotional stress – but hopefully nothing you can’t handle.

The biggest thing you want to ask yourself before co-signing a bail bond is if you can trust the defendant to go to court, to be compliant with all terms and conditions, to ensure you do not lose your money or collateral because of his or her irresponsible actions.

Talk to Santa Ana Bail Bond Store Services more about co-signing a bail bond. We can help you figure out the best situation for you and for the arrested person who is seeking your help and ours.

Consultations are always FREE, so call Santa Ana Bail Bond Store Services now at 714-973-2245.

The fastest way to get your loved one out of jail is to secure a bail bond. In order to do this, there needs to be someone willing to co-sign for it. This means that the co-signer is responsible for seeing that the bail agent receives his or her rightful 10% of the full bail amount. This is the fee paid for their services. In addition, the co-signer is responsible for making sure the defendant meets all his or her court appearances.

Of course, there are risks to agreeing to be a co-signer, the biggest one being the co-signer being responsible for paying the full bail amount if the defendant misses a court date. First, there will be fees, and those fees will rack up the more the defendant is missing. Eventually, the co-signer may need to meet the full bail amount if the defendant does not reappear within the allotted grace period. The co-signer could lose the collateral he or she put up – money, property, valuables, etc.

Calculate the risks of being a person’s co-signer before making the commitment. It may seem unfair for co-signers to be punished in the name of the defendant, which is why the co-signer must truly evaluate their trust on the defendant. However, most defendants understand what is on the line not just for themselves, but also for their trusted co-signers. They don’t want to risk more than they already have.

You can learn more about the responsibilities of a co-signer by contacting OC Bail Now at 714-973-2245.

We protect the defendants but we also want to protect the co-signers. We have a great track record of success stories so you need not worry when you’re in the hands of OC Bail Now.