The timeliness of obtaining a supersedeas bond is a crucial component of the appellate process. When an attorney needs a supersedeas bond to proceed, obtaining one quickly is absolutely necessary to help preserve the client’s position.
Since appeals take time, and the judgement needs to be put on hold immediately, parties need to act quickly. There are deadlines that normally have to be met, and missing them can result in the court denying an appeal.
The problem that arises for attorneys, even those who represent larger firms, is that they do not have a workable process for securing supersedeas bonds for their clients. Combine this with tight deadlines, and the results can be disastrous (up to and including the loss of an appeal).
The Cost and Time Required for Supersedeas Bonds
Supersedeas bonds are generally required to cover the entire cost of pending judgements and any additional court costs (these rules change from state to state). The process for obtaining them can be time-consuming and filled with pitfalls that attorneys can unknowingly walk into, thus giving sureties, or the courts, reason to deny the bond.
The process is filled with red tape, and navigating it requires attorneys to have the knowledge of how to avoid sinking a supersedeas bond. For example, federal courts require sureties that supply the bonds to be on the U.S. Treasury Department’s listing of approved sureties. If they are not, the court may reject the bond outright
Meeting Supersedeas Bond Deadlines
The most efficient way for attorneys to obtain supersedeas bonds is to work with an agency that has partnered with sureties before. Rather than doing the legwork on their own, attorneys can let bond agencies analyze their case, file the appropriate information with an experienced surety provider and obtain a bond in the appropriate time.
When dealing with supersedeas bonds, there is not time for mistakes. The deadline must be met, so contact the Patrick J. Thomas agency today to quickly obtain the bond that you need.
Disclaimer: this is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice. If you need legal counsel, please contact an attorney directly.