People often turn to third parties for bail bonds. A common misperception, though, is that folks only do this if they can't afford to post bail. Even if you can cover the cost, there are at least three good reasons to work with a bail company.
Lower Amount
Most courts in the U.S. have arrangements with bail bond providers that provide significantly reduced amounts. The government does this for a few reasons. Foremost, bail firms are usually licensed to recover people who fail to appear for court dates. The government saves money because they don't have to send someone to get you since it's the bail company's problem. Also, since courts tend to have good relationships with bail bond companies, they can spread the risk across more cases. Likewise, the third-party surety system makes bail more accessible in terms of cost.
The trade-off for the client is that the reduced bail is a sunk cost because the provider keeps all the money. If you post bail and make all of your appearances, you get your money back. However, if you miss a single court date, the judge could revoke your bail and keep the surety. In terms of risk-reward balance, you have to consider the odds that things will go smoothly.
Trust
Someone posting bail for a loved one, friend, coworker, or employee might not be perfectly confident that the person will make all of their court dates. Trust is a notable issue, and you should consider it when posting a surety for another person. Even if they're a good person, lots of good people aren't great at keeping important dates. You might be better off taking the reduced hit working with a bail company than risking a larger amount by posting bail yourself.
Availability
Many third parties offer 24-hour bail bonds. If the cops bust someone on a Friday in a county with a sleepy court system, there's a good chance that they won't be released before Monday if you don't post bail soon. However, you might be tied up with work or family matters. Fortunately, a third party can post bail, potentially saving a loved one from an unnecessary weekend in jail.
You might also need to post bail for someone who's just too far away. If the cops pulled your kid over on a road trip three states away, you probably aren't going to be able to easily get there to put up bail. Rather than face the challenges of an unscheduled trip, you can call a bond company in the area to secure your kid's release.
