Kearney, MO, Criminal Defense Lawyers With Payment Plans. When the government makes allegations against you, you’re probably already stressed out. You’re facing challenges that nobody wants to go through. But for most people facing allegations, you’re facing another hurdle outside of the legal system to overcome: How are you going to pay for a defense attorney?
As scary of a question as it is, there is an answer: You can still hire a top-quality Kearney criminal defense attorney to defend your rights. At Combs Waterkotte, we provide payment plans that are customized to you so that you can get a group of the finest Kearney, MO, lawyers without going into debt over it. And being affordable doesn’t mean you’re getting a lesser defense – when you work with our team, you’re getting a highly experienced, award-winning team of expert criminal defense attorneys.
On this page, we go over why a payment plan might work for you, 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 on all cases, and can decide on next steps after our call.
Here, we go over the typical expenses of criminal defense attorneys in Kearney, the advantages of payment plans, how our payment plans work, and more. You can jump to a specific topic here:
- How much will I have to pay a criminal defense lawyer in Kearney, MO?
- What about public defenders?
- Things that affect a case’s price
- Why you should consider payment plans when hiring a lawyer
- How our criminal defense payment plans work
- Case types we offer 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 Kearney attorney with a payment plan.
How Much Do Criminal Defense Lawyers Cost in Kearney?
It’s unfortunately impossible to give a prediction of how much a case will cost without knowing the ins and outs of it. They can range anywhere from a couple of thousand dollars to as much as $25,000 for intricate 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 representing yourself. But don’t move too fast – there are major drawbacks to both of those choices. To get a public defender in Kearney, there are certain eligibility requirements that you must fit to qualify.
Even if you are eligible, picking a public defender instead of a private defense lawyer signficicantly decreases your chances of the state dropping the case against you. They’re also more likely to push you to accept plea deals, which leads to unfavorable outcomes for you.
The quality of the public defender doesn’t matter – unfortunately, because of their lack of resources and massive caseloads, they are in a spot where they can’t give clients’ cases the time they need.
Representing yourself is often even worse, though: Even if you’re only facing a traffic ticket, you need a lawyer to protect yourself from unseen costs. One of our clients paid a ticket without speakign to a traffic lawyer, and ended up paying $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 affect the cost to defend a case. Here are the main ones to watch out for:
- Location: Cases in cities tend to cost more than in the country, thanks to higher levels of competition and more expenses.
- Type of Charge: Generally, misdemeanors are less expensive than felonies. Additionally, some defenses can be more expensive because of the sensitive nature of the allegation, like with sex crimes.
- Experience: You can expect more experienced lawyers to charge more for their quality of defense.
- Hourly vs Flat: Hourly rates can have hidden costs, or shoot up over time. Flat fees may look more expensive at first, but you avoid surprise 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.
What Difference Will a Payment Plan Make?
Payment plans can make a massive difference for defendants facing criminal allegations. Without a huge upfront cost, more people are able to hire a lawyer without going bankrupt.
The best payment plans are customizable, so that you and your attorney can find something that works for both of you.
We know that most people aren’t expecting to face criminal charges. They’re not building a fund to cover the costs of criminal defense. Payment plans make a path for you to hire Kearney, MO’s leading criminal defense firm without the stress of coming up with the funds.
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How Combs Waterkotte’s Payment Plans Protect Your Wallet
At Combs Waterkotte, we want your rights to be protected, no matter who you are and what your bank account looks like. Because of that, we structure our fees in a way to make it realistic and affordable for everyday people, facing everything from DWIs to homicide charges.
Here’s how our payment plans can save you money:
- Low deposits – We can get started on either felony or misdemeanor cases without a massive retainer.
- Realistic bill structures – we’re reasonable and will work with your budget to customize your billing structure in a way that works for everyone.
- Multiple payment options – we take cash, credit, debit, checks, money orders, and more.
- Flat fees – you don’t get stuck with surprise expenses or the buildup of hourly fees..
Get a quality 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 build defenses for a diverse catalog of allegations 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 Kearney, MO, criminal charges we offer payment plans for, or reach out now to go over how we can make a plan for your case.

Combs Waterkotte Kearney Criminal Defense Strategies
When you hire us, our goal is find the most positive outcome for your case, whatever it is. Whatever you’re facing, our team will create a trial-ready, fearless defense that intimidates and impacts juries. We also make use of our relationships with prosecutors and judges across MO to get charges dropped and secure favorable plea deals.
Want to learn more about how we do it? These are some typical defense strategies we use against criminal charges in Kearney, 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 Kearney, MO? Low on Funds? Call Combs Waterkotte
We’re not here to empty your bank accounts or put you in debt – we’re here to fight for your rights and your future. Our team of top-rated Kearney, MO, criminal defense lawyers has has extensive experience working with clients just like you to defend cases just like yours.
At Combs Waterkotte, we see you as a person, not a another case or paycheck. We are here to help you, whoever you are, and whatever legal or financial situation you’re in. Let us defend your freedom and your bank account.
Set up an appointment online or call us at (314) 900-HELP today for a free case examination, and to talk about payment plans that make it affordable for you.

