Bail Bonds

• Bail bonds are designed to get a friend or relative released from jail without having to pay the entire bail amount, according to BailYes.com. Bail bonds are written contracts between the defendant or co-signer and the bail bondsman. The bondsman guarantees, by posting bail, that the defendant will appear in court on the appointed date.
  
  

Bail Bondsman

• A bail bondsman loans people money to pay their bail, according to the Just Cause Law Collective website. The bail bondsman will then give the court a bond and secure the release of the criminal suspect.
  
  

Bondsman Fee

• In most states, the bail amount is set by a judge. A bail bondsman typically charges a fee of 10 percent of the entire amount of bail, and this fee is non-refundable. So, if your bail is $20,000, the fee paid to the bail bondsman would be $2,000.
  
  

Additional Fees

• Bail bondsmen often charge additional fees if they have to renew a defendant's surety bond. This means you will pay the bail bondsman an additional percentage of the bail amount. This typically happens when cases take longer than one year.
  
  

Collateral

• A bail bondsman may require collateral before posting the bail bond. Bail bondsman require collateral to make sure you appear in court; and if you do not appear, they can sell the collateral. Collateral can be property, cars, stocks, bonds or personal credit.