Co-signing a bail bond is a huge responsibility and liability. Becoming a co-signer means you are signing a contract as the liable party for the defendant. If there is more than one co-signer, both are responsible. You’re essentially assuming the consequences if the defendant does not make his or her payments, skips court or possibly violates other terms of release that are dependent on the bail bond.
We know you desperately just want to co-sign the bail bond because you’re sympathetic to your very close friend or relative, but you should really weigh certain things before signing off:
When you co-sign a bail agreement, it’s important that you know your rights. First of all, you have the right to refuse to be a co-signer. You should only enter a legal agreement such as this if you fully understand that you will be responsible to pay for the full amount of the bail bond if the defendant doesn’t show up to court or if they violate a condition of their bail.
Co-signers can request to have their name taken off the bail bond if he or she begins to feel uncomfortable with the defendant. Then the bail bond is retracted and the defendant will be taken into custody. So if the accused commits another crime or the co-signer believes the accused will not go to court, the co-signer has the right to cut ties with the situation to ensure their own safety.
We can discuss how you might be a co-signer. We protect the rights of the accused but also of the co-signers – we are on both of your sides because we work to achieve the best possible outcome for all.