Knowing that there's someone who can post money for your release if you get in trouble with the law is a good thing in its own right, but a bail bonds services provider can be more of a resource that you might expect. They have a financial stake in you appearing for each hearing, and that means they're often more motivated than even your attorney might be to see that the process goes smoothly. There are three things that make the service an impressive value for folks in bad spots.

Timeliness and Location

It's not that your friends necessarily don't want to travel two states away to deliver a couple of thousand dollars to secure your release from a jail at 4 am, but a 24-hour bail bonds company just might be able to do the job faster. The bond firm is also usually located within driving range of the courthouse, and many businesses set up right next to one. They also frequently maintain offices in several locations in order to get good coverage of nearby local, state, and federal prisons.

Investment

The hard reality is that whoever posted bond for you is going to be invested in handling the process efficiently. The legal system in America can be a clunky business, especially for those who don't regularly deal with it. Someone who has, for example, been hit with their first-ever DUI might not know what goes into making sure they appear for court.

A company will, if you ask, be glad to see that you'll make all your dates simply because they risk forfeiting their money if you don't show up. You might not be able to depend on your best friend to wake you up if your alarm doesn't go off for a critical court date, but you can bet that a bondsman would rather make a polite phone call than hunt you down.

Ground-Level Knowledge

A bail bonds services company is likely to know quite about the local legal environment. They work regularly with the police and the sheriff, and they can tell you a bit about how law enforcement handles the procedure. Bonds companies also tend to have formed relationships with criminal defense attorneys, judges, and prosecutors. When you're trying to figure out who you're even supposed to call about a matter, someone in the bond industry is likely to tell you where to go for help.