Are you here asking, “How to find the right Tennessee bail bond agency?” If so, keep reading!

Exploring The Question: How To Find The Right Tennessee Bail Bond Agency

So, your loved one has just been arrested and taken to jail in Tennessee, and you don’t know what you want to do.

Most likely, in this scenario, your first response will be to contact your local bail bond agency immediately and then rush into an agreement with them—whatever it takes to get your family member back home safe, right?

Well, there is a problem with this approach.

Here’s the truth:

Rushing Into A Bail Bond Contract Is A Big Red Flag!

The reason why is that not all bail bond agencies are made equal. While some genuinely want to help you and your loved ones get out of jail quickly, others are just out to profit from your situation.

It’s VERY important to avoid signing a contract with a bail bond company that doesn’t have your best interest at heart.

Fortunately, there are eight easy, insider steps that can help protect you from predatory bail companies. 

Keep reading to learn more about them.

Or:

Call A Reputable Bail Bond Agency Right Now

We understand that not everyone can take the time to screen every detail of their preferred bail bond agency. If you’re in an emergency situation and need help immediately, call us at 901-523-2245.

We are a highly rated bail bond agency with hundreds of positive reviews on Google, which may put you at ease regarding our background, intentions, and qualifications. We are available 24/7 to meet your needs.

With all that said, let’s now move on to the 8 helpful steps that you can follow!

1. Check Whether The Bail Agency Offers Free Consultations

The first step, as you can see, is to check whether your preferred bail bond agency offers free consultations to potential customers or if they charge you just to speak with them.

Good bail bond companies will never charge you for a conversation about how their bail bonds work.

In fact, offering you a free, no-pressure consultation to help you decide whether getting a bail bond is right for you is par for the course.

Key phrase here: No-pressure consultation.

When talking to a bail bond agency, a good one will respect your decisions and won’t try to manipulate you into making a commitment.

How well a bail bond company respects your boundaries during your consultation is a good indicator of how well they’ll treat you down the road.

2. Learn The Bail Agent’s Reputation At The Courthouse and Jail

Finding out what your preferred bail bond company’s reputation is is an extremely important step to take during your search. You definitely don’t want to sign a contract with someone who cuts corners!

While it may seem difficult to get the inside scoop on who a bail agent is and what they are like, one of the best methods is to: 

Speak with the staff at the jail or courthouse.

There are certain rules that bail bond agents are required to follow in Tennessee, such as not soliciting business at the jail or courthouse, and speaking with those in the know will let you know real quick if the bail bond agent is breaking those rules.

Speaking of which, if you or someone you know is approached by a bail bond agent while at jail or the courthouse, run for the hills! They are engaging in unprofessional conduct.

3. Ask A Lawyer For Their Preferred Tennessee Bail Bond Agent

There are a lot of Tennessee bail bond agents, so sometimes it’s difficult narrowing down who you want to work with.

But there is a trick you might find helpful, which is:

Speaking with your lawyer about who they prefer.

If you’ve already secured the help of a defense attorney, then it’s not much of a stretch to get their opinion on who they think is the best local bail bond agent.

Naturally, your defense lawyer is going to be exposed to a lot of people in the bail bond industry and have inside knowledge about who is reputable and who will take advantage of your situation.

An Additional Perk

Another advantage of talking to your lawyer is that they may give you a referral to a bail bond agency that they routinely work with, which could result in a better payment plan or collateral arrangement for you.

4. Check Your Tennessee Bail Agent’s Online Reviews

Online reviews are the undeniable litmus test for businesses today. And there is a reason why….It’s because they work!

Most of the time, when a company has lots of negative reviews, it’s because they don’t offer a good product or service, so you should definitely check and see how well your preferred bail bond company is rated.

Checking reviews on Google, Yelp, and other review websites is fast and effective. It doesn’t take much time to check. The same holds true for social media.

You’ll often find people talking about a company that you’re interested in on social media. Well, it doesn’t hurt to leave a comment or reach out and ask to get an expanded take on their experience with the company.

  1. Choose Bail Bond Agents That Are Readily Available

When selecting a bail bond agent, another thing to remember is to find one who will answer you.

When dealing with bail bonds, the last thing you want to have happen is to run into an emergency situation and not get a reply.

Finding a bail bond agent who actually answers your calls and emails is incredibly important and can help you avoid a major issue.

Fortunately, we at All N One Bail Bonds are available 24/7. We are committed to helping you whenever you need it! This includes working with you if you run into an emergency situation that will keep you from being able to attend your court hearings.

6. Find A Bail Bond Company With Flexible Payment Options

Let’s face it. Bail bonds are expensive. And the same goes for bail bond premiums.

This is why some bail bond companies (us included) offer installment options so that you don’t have to pay the full amount of your bail bond premium upfront, which can be a big help, especially if you are financially tight and can’t afford to pay a large lump sum.

Likewise, some bail bond companies offer unique collateral options to ease the burden of paying your bail bond premium.

Quick Note About Bail Bond Premiums

By the way, if you are unfamiliar with how bail bond premiums work, they are a non-refundable fee that you pay to a bail bond company in exchange for their services.

When you or someone you know gets arrested, getting a bail bond with a premium is usually a much better way to go since you won’t have to pay your full bail amount.

If, for example, your bail amount is set at $10,000, your bail bond premium in Tennessee, which is 10% of the total bail amount, will cost $1,000.

7. Scrutinize The Details of Your Bail Bond Contract

Let’s reinforce something we touched on earlier:

Don’t sign your bail bond contract too quickly! 

Unfortunately, not all people in the bail bond industry are honest, so reading over the fine print of your contract is a must before you sign anything.

You’ll especially want to pay attention to any mention of interest payments or any details related to your bail bond payment plan.

Likewise, you’ll want to keep an eye out for anything related to collateral.

Lastly, you’ll want to check your contract for anything related to substance abuse treatment programs.

When a defendant is involved in a drug-related case, some bail bond companies will require that they receive treatment, which, while potentially very helpful, can also be costly. This is just something to be aware of.

PS As an aside, make sure to ask your bail bond company for an invoice for every payment you make.

8. Research Your Bail Bond Company’s License

The final step we recommend taking when selecting a bail bond company is to find out whether the company is licensed.

To find out if your preferred bail bond agent is licensed, you’ll want to contact Tennessee’s Department of Commerce and Insurance. For more information, go here.

Side Note: 

While researching their license, it doesn’t hurt to ask your preferred bail bond company to also provide some background about their experience.

You might ask them about other cases they’ve worked on (they won’t be able to share specifics with you but will certainly be able to tell you case types) and if their work experience aligns with your needs.

About The Bail Bondsman Business – Other Things To Know

Remember that bail bond companies are for-profit businesses, which means that you may come across some of them that are more concerned with making money than providing a helpful service.

Following the steps above will help you secure a bail bond contract that is fair.

Contact Us For Best Bail Bonding In TN & Best Bail Bond Agents

Have you followed the steps yet? Are you ready to work with an experienced bail bond agency?

If so, call us today! We’ve been in business for many years and have helped many people in Tennessee get the bail bonds they need.

If you have any questions regarding our company, how other bail bond agencies work, or would like to talk to a professional bail bondsman, we can help.

We are well-versed in bail bond laws and are very familiar with the local court system.

Further Reading: What Are Bail Recovery Agents?

Some people get bail bond agents and bail recovery agents (bounty hunters) confused, so we want to touch on this subject briefly.

There is, in fact, a difference between these two types of bail personnel.

Simply put:

A bail recovery agent focuses on retrieving defendants who have skipped bail, while a bail bond agent is responsible for helping people secure bail bonds.

Bail Bond Laws

Bail bond laws, what bail bond agents can and cannot do, and how bail bonds work in general all comprise a complex subject. To learn more about bail recovery agents or what it’s like to work with a Tennessee bounty hunter, call us today.

You can also check out the criminal procedure chapter for more information about bail in Tennessee: “2010 Tennessee Code/Title 40 – Criminal Procedure/Chapter 11 – Bail/Part 1 – Admission to Bail”.