---
title: Bail Bonds Basics
description: Don’t trust Law & Order or NCIS as a source for all of your information regarding America’s court system. Just because you’re an avid crime-related television […]
---

[Bail Bonds Blog: Guides & Answers | Big Mike Bail Bonds NC](https://www.bigmikebailbonds.com/blog)

# [Bail Bonds Basics](https://www.bigmikebailbonds.com/blog/bail-bonds-basics)

 Written by [Big Mike](https://www.bigmikebailbonds.com/blog/author/big-mike) | Oct 15, 2015, 11:55:53 AM

Don’t trust Law & Order or NCIS as a source for all of your information regarding America’s court system. Just because you’re an avid crime-related television show watcher, doesn’t mean you know everything about the legal system.

If you aren’t 100% sure as to [what bail bonds are](https://bigmikebailbonds.com/bail-bonds-101) and how they are used, here are a few key points that you’ll want to know before trying to bust yourself or a friend out of jail.

- A bail bond is a payment that the defendant may be able to make to the court in order to leave jail until his or her time of trial. The payment is a way the court will ensure the accused will appear at any future court date.
- In most cases, families or friends of the defendant cannot afford to pay the bail amount. This is when the need for a bail bondsman comes in. A bondsman, like [Big Mike](https://bigmikebailbonds.com/about-big-mike-bail-bonds), will post the bail for the defendant after the family member of friend pays at least 5% of the fee as a down payment.
- Once bail is posted, it can take minutes to 24 hours to get the person out of jail.
- Those individuals who skip out on bail, meaning they fled the area without showing up for their court date, can cost their loved ones thousands of dollars.

## Contact Big Mike Bail Bonds

We understand that jail is a scary prospect for those who are incarcerated or involved in the bailing out process. If you have any other [unanswered questions](https://bigmikebailbonds.com/bail-bonds-f-a-q) about bail bonds or you need a [bail bondsmen](https://bigmikebailbonds.com/) to help you get of jail, please do not hesitate to give us a call at 919-934-5656.

[View full post](https://www.bigmikebailbonds.com/blog/bail-bonds-basics)

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