Bail bonds are contractual agreements in which the bail bondsman guarantees that the full amount of the bail that was set will be paid if the defendant does not appear in court as required. A bail bondsman will obtain a portion of the total amount of bail set by the court, which is usually around ten percent. The bail bondsman will post bail to the jail for the jail release of the defendant. The actual bail bond is a combination of a contract that pledges a guarantee that the defendant will appear in court, combined with a Power of Attorney that proves the bail bondsman has the proper authority to issue the bail bond. The defendant or an indemnitor for the defendent, who is the person obtaining the bail bond, is often required to provide proof that they would have the ability to pay the entire amount of bail, if by chance the defendant does not appear in court as required. The defendant or an indemnetor pays a percentage of the bail that is set to the bail bondsman.  This percentage then becomes the bail bondsman’s fee for the service, and is non refundable. It is also important to understand that if the defendant “skips bail” and does not appear in court, the indemnitor will be responsible for the entire amount of the bail that was originally set plus court costs or recovery fees etc.