How Can You Support Your Adult Child Following an Arrest?

Learning that the police have taken your child into custody can be shocking. Many parents may not know how to react in these situations. While anger and disappointment are often natural reactions, you'll likely also want to give your child the support they need to get through their predicament. A first arrest can be challenging for anyone but may provide learning and growth opportunities.

Of course, your primary consideration will be ensuring your child is safe and helping them to secure their release as quickly as possible. If you're ready to call a bail bond agent, here are three ways to help support your child through the bail bond process and beyond.

1. Don't Wait to Contact a Bond Agent

Posting bail isn't as straightforward as swiping a credit card and waiting for the police to open the jail door. Whether you use a bond agent or not, posting bail requires dealing with several jail staff members, signing paperwork, and waiting your turn. In other words, you can always expect at least some delay between when you start the process and when the police finally release your child.

That extra time can be stressful and may also delay other important tasks, such as contacting a lawyer or beginning to plan a defense. Even worse, time spent in jail increases the risk of your child inadvertently making an incriminating statement to the police.

In most cases, the best thing you can do is select a bail bond company with a quick response time for your area and contact them as soon as possible. While you may want to give your child some time to cool their heels in jail and think about what they've done, the benefits of securing a quick release are often far more important.

2. Choose Your Involvement Carefully

Your adult child is legally responsible for dealing with the consequences of their actions. In other words, you have no obligation to post bail or sign a bail bond agreement on their behalf. However, you may still wish to do so, either because your child lacks the financial means to post bail on their own or because you want to take the most expedient route to release them from jail.

You can act as a co-signer on your child’s bail bond agreement in these cases. By co-signing a bail bond agreement, you are making yourself financially responsible. If your child fails to show up for their court appearance, the bail bond company will hold you responsible for the full bond amount. As a result, you can expect most bond companies to perform some qualification steps before allowing you to co-sign.

If you don't want to take financial responsibility for your child's actions, you may want to consider other options, such as providing them with the bail bond fee directly or loaning them the money. These approaches can allow you to support them and get them out of jail quickly without creating any legal obligations for yourself.

3. Have a Frank Discussion

Once you have secured your child's release, you should have a frank discussion about their situation and responsibilities. Purchasing a bail bond is a very serious decision with potentially severe consequences for failing to appear in court. Bail jumping in Texas can lead to substantial fines and jail time, in addition to owing the bail bond company the full bail amount.

Ensure your child understands their responsibilities and what they must do to comply with the law and avoid creating an even more severe outcome. You can also use this time to help ensure they have legal representation, if necessary. Working closely with a lawyer can help your child be more confident in their case, reducing the likelihood they will attempt to avoid their court date.

Knowing that your child is in jail can be stressful, but Vaughn's Cowtown Bail Bonds can help you resolve the situation quickly and easily. Give us a call today to discuss your options and determine the best way to secure a release for your child.