After an arrest, you are usually required by the court to post bail for you to be released from jail, pending the hearing and determination of your case. The bail money assures that you'll attend court proceedings, and failure to do that results in forfeiture. However, there are circumstances where you might be unable to raise bail money and seek the services of a bail bond company. These companies post bail on behalf of arrested persons at a service fee, usually a small percentage of the total bail money.