The Risky Business of Bail Bondsmen

Bail bondsmen have to watch their backs at all time. First, bail agents have to worry about the hours that they keep. Most people make their bail bond call early in the morning, since most of the time it is for a DUI infraction. Then there is the worry about people jumping bail by not showing up to court when they are supposed to show up. There could be physical violence involved for bond agents and they have to worry constantly about getting paid.

Here is how the bail bondsmen get their paycheck. They do not get paid hourly, but get a percentage of the money from the fees that the bail agency collects at the time they bail out a defendant. This can mean that for a while they get low paying bonds and gradually work their way up to the bigger bonds. Bigger cities will have more opportunities but also more risks involved with not getting paid if someone skips their bond.

As for the long hours, well there is no guarantee when a defendant will call, so a bail bondsman must be ready to leave his or her house at any hour of the day. There are some days that are typically busy for bail bond agents. These days are usually on the weekends and on holidays. Many of these bonds will be low bonds that come about from drinking and driving busts. It may not mean much money to the bond agent but it does build up a clientele. This is very important, so pay attention. The more people you help out, the better advertising via word of mouth occurs. This is the biggest tool in the bail bond agent's arsenal.

If you bail out an individual from jail, there is no guarantee that you will have a client that makes his or her way to court. Many people, especially those that know, without a shadow of a doubt, that they will go to prison may try to run. This means that either you have to find the person or hire a bail enforcement agent, otherwise known as a bounty hunter, to track them down.

No one is disputing the fact that bail bondsmen have tough jobs, with days that are often long and hard. When first getting into the business it can seem like it is too big of a risk. People like having set work hours and not having to get up at all hours of the night. But once you are in the game for awhile, you will get used to the hours and the more bonds you write will lead to better word of mouth advertising, which translates into more money for your wallet.