Kansas City Criminal Defense Lawyers With Payment Plans. When the government makes allegations against you, you’re probably already stressed out. They’re stressful, have potentially life-altering consequences, and can become your whole life while you fight them. But for many people, possibly you, the challenges start before you even make it into the courtroom: How am I going to afford this?
You have options: You can still get a top-quality Kansas City criminal defense attorney to protect your freedom. At Combs Waterkotte, we offer affordable and flexible payment plans so that you can get a group of the finest Kansas City, MO, lawyers without going bankrupt in the process. And we don’t compromise on your defense quality – at Combs Waterkotte, you’re getting a highly experienced, award-winning team of expert criminal defense lawyers.
Here, we’re outlining the potential advantages of a payment plan, but if you’re in an emergency and need to discuss options with an expert, call now at (314) 900-HELP or get in touch online – we offer free consultations for anyone facing charges, and can decide on next steps after our call.
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Here, we discuss the costs of criminal defense lawyers in Kansas City, how payment plans can help make your defense more affordable, the features of our payment plans, and more. You can skip ahead to a specific topic here:
- What is the price of a a criminal defense attorney in Kansas City, MO?
- Is it a good idea to use a public defender?
- Things that affect a case’s price
- Advantages of payment plans when hiring an attorney
- How our criminal defense payment plans work
- Case types you can use payment plans for
- Defensive strategies we could use for your case
- Hire a lawyer now with a payment plan that works for you
Without further ado, let’s get into the advantages of hiring a Kansas City attorney with a payment plan.
How Much Do Criminal Defense Lawyers Cost in Kansas City?
Prices for criminal defense cases can vary a lot, even for the same lawyer. The different circumstances for each case can increase or decrease costs a lot. They can range anywhere from a couple of thousand dollars to as much as $25,000 for complicated felony cases. MO lawyers, in particular, tend to cost slightly above average for the United States.
What About Public Defenders? Or Self-Representation?
Considering those costs, no one would blame you for thinking about getting a public defender or trying to represent yourself. But don’t rush into that decision – there are major risks and roadblocks if you go with either of those routes. To get a public defender in Kansas City, you first need to determine if you are even eligible.
Even if you are eligible, by opting for a public defender over a private attorney, you’re drastically decreasing your chances of the prosecution dropping the case against you. Public defenders also frequently negotiate subpar plea deals, which can result in unfavorable outcomes for you.
The quality of the public defender doesn’t matter – unfortunately, due to their low support and tremendous caseloads, they can’t give every case the time it deserves.
Trying to navigate the Kansas City, MO, legal process on your own will probably be even worse, though: Even just for a traffic ticket, you need a lawyer to warn you about hidden consequences. We’ve had a client who paid a ticket without thinking about it, and she lost $6,000 in increased insurance costs.
What Factors Affect Criminal Case Costs?
When considering the cost to defend a given case, there’s a lot to keep in mind: Many factors go into determining the price. Here are the key ones to be aware of:
- Location: Defending alleged crimes in city courts typically costs more than in rural jurisdictions, because of the additional competition and fees.
- Type of Charge: Misdemeanors are usually cheaper than felonies. Some types of charges, like sex crimes, can also be more expensive due to the social stigma surrounding them.
- Experience: You can expect more experienced lawyers to charge more for their quality of defense.
- Hourly vs Flat: Hourly rates may seem cheaper at first, but can creep up over time. Each case is unique, but flat fees are more predictable and won’t have hidden costs.
- Unique Case Factors: Expert analysts and witnesses are expensive – if your case involves, for example, computer programs and your lawyer needs to hire a software engineer for assistance, that can increase the case costs.
Can a Payment Plan Make a Difference?
If you’re facing criminal allegations, payment plans can make a huge difference. By avoiding a massive upfront cost, more people are able to hire a lawyer without going into debt.
The best payment plans are customizable, so that you and your attorney can find something that works for both of you.
Normally, people aren’t thinking about what to do if they’re facing prosecution. They’re not setting up their budget to account for the costs of a lawyer. Payment plans make hiring a premium legal defense team for your case not only possible, but reasonable.
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How Combs Waterkotte’s Payment Plans Protect Your Wallet
At Combs Waterkotte, we want to give you the justice you deserve, no matter who you are and what charges you are facing. Because of that, we set up our payment plans in a way to make it reasonable and affordable for everyday people, facing anything from DWIs to murder charges.
Here’s how our payment plans can save you money:
- Low deposits – our down payments for both felonies and misdemeanors are affordable.
- Realistic bill structures – we’re flexible and will work with your budget to customize your billing structure in a way that works for everyone.
- Multiple payment options – we accept credit, debit, checks, money orders, and more.
- Flat fees – avoid hidden costs and the snowballing bills from hourly rates.
Get a leading criminal defense without breaking the bank. We build tenacious defenses, are in reach 24/7, and won’t stop fighting until you get the justice you deserve.
Free book
How a Criminal Defense Attorney Can Protect Your Rights and Future
Combs Waterkotte has over 60 years of experience and over 10,000 cases handled. This ebook helps guide you through the criminal defense process and how an experienced, skilled defense attorney can keep your freedoms intact.
Criminal Defense Case Types We Offer Payment Plans For
At Combs Waterkotte, we are proud to be MO’s leading criminal defense firm for numerous case types, and offer payment plans for all of them. Here are some of the charges we regularly defend clients from:
Are you up against something not on that list? Look through our complete list of Kansas City, MO, criminal charges we offer payment plans for, or reach out now to talk about options for your case.

Combs Waterkotte Kansas City Criminal Defense Strategies
At Combs Waterkotte, our mission is to get you the best possible outcome for your case, whatever that looks like. Whatever you’re facing, we’re going to put together a trial-ready, fearless defense that intimidates the state and impacts juries. We also take advantage of our relationships with prosecutors and judges across MO to get charges dismissed and secure favorable plea deals.
Below are just a few of our many defense strategies we use against criminal charges in Kansas City, MO:
- Alibi
- Self Defense/Defense of Others
- Lack of Intent
- Fourth Amendment Rights Violation
- Fifth Amendment Rights Violation
- Duress
- Necessity

Charged With a Crime in Kansas City, MO? Low on Funds? Call Combs Waterkotte
We’re not here to empty your bank accounts or force you into debt – we’re here to protect your life and your future. Our team of expert Kansas City, MO, criminal defense lawyers has defended over 10,000 cases with clients just like you to defend cases just like yours.
At Combs Waterkotte, we see you as a person, not a paycheck or case number. We are here to help you, whoever you are, and whatever legal or financial situation you’re in. Let us protect your freedom and your credit.
reach out online or call us at (314) 900-HELP anytime for a free case examination, and to figure out payment plans that make it affordable for you.

