It was probably your first instinct to bail your friend or family member out of jail as soon as you got the phone call. Now, though, you could be worried about what is going to happen if your loved one does not show up to court. After all, as you might have been told during the bail process, you will be held responsible for the bail amount if your friend or family member does not attend all court hearings like he or she has been ordered to do. You can't completely prevent your loved one from skipping bail, but these tips can help.

Make Sure Your Loved One Understands the Consequences

Your loved one might not really think that it's a big deal to miss a court date. Make sure that you talk to him or her about how you will be affected if he or she does miss a court date. Also, let him or her know about how he or she will be negatively impacted by doing so.

Help Your Loved One Get Assistance with Their Case

One reason why people often skip out on their bail and avoid showing up for court is because they are worried about what might happen. This is not the smartest thing to do, but it's still a common mistake that people make. This will only make the situation worse for your loved one and will put you in a tight position if you were the one who posted bail, so it's best to try to prevent this from happening in the first place.

Helping your loved one get the help that he or she needs to handle the case is a good way to prevent this fear. If possible, you may want to help your friend or family member hire a lawyer. If this isn't something that you can afford to do, then you can help your loved one look for legal resources that might be free or affordable, such as helping him or her apply for a court-appointed lawyer that is paid for by the state. If the person who you helped get out of jail on bail has some help with his or her case, he or she might not be as afraid to go to court.

Use the Service of a Bail Enforcement Company

A bail enforcement company helps people like you to make sure that a person does not skip out on bail. If this is something that you're truly concerned about, one of these agencies can help keep an eye on your loved one to make sure that he or she does not leave town. If necessary, the bail enforcement agent can bring your loved one into custody. This type of service protects you. Reach out to a local company for more information. 

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