Cara O'Neill

Cara O'Neill

Attorney · University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law

Cara O'Neill is a legal editor at Nolo, focusing on bankruptcy and small claims. She also maintains a bankruptcy practice at the Law Office of Cara O’Neill and teaches criminal law and legal ethics as an adjunct professor. Cara has been quoted in bankruptcy, finance, small claims, and litigation articles by news outlets that include USA Today, CNBC, U.S. News & World Report, Nerd Wallet, and Yahoo Finance.

Cara received her law degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, where she graduated a member of the Order of the Barristers—a highly-selective honor society that gives national recognition to top law school graduates demonstrating excellent skills in trial advocacy, oral advocacy, and brief writing.

Working at Nolo. Cara started writing for Nolo as a freelancer in 2014 and became a full-time legal editor in 2016. She has authored a number of Nolo self-help legal books, including How to File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, The New Bankruptcy, Everybody's Guide to Small Claims (national version), and Everybody's Guide to Small Claims in California. She also co-authors and edits Solve Your Money Troubles and Credit Repair and has written hundreds of articles for Nolo.com, Lawyers.com, TheBankruptcySite.org, and AllLaw.com.

Early legal career. Before joining Nolo, Cara spent 20 years working as a trial attorney litigating criminal and civil cases. She also served as an administrative law judge mediating disputes between auto manufacturers and dealerships and began teaching law as an adjunct professor in 2004. She added bankruptcy to her practice after the 2008 financial downturn.

Origins of litigation and writing career. Thanks to her mother, Cara’s advocacy training began early and involuntarily. In junior high school, she took second place two years running in the local Optimist Club speaking competition. She also successfully competed on her high school speech and debate team for several years, eventually serving as president of the same. During law school, she competed on a nationally ranked ABA moot court team for two years (and was recruited for a third, but declined) and served as a law journal editor.

Articles By Cara O'Neill

Ohio Bankruptcy Exemptions
Ohio bankruptcy exemptions help you keep property necessary to maintain a home and employment, including some home and vehicle equity, a retirement account, and household items. Discover how to apply bankruptcy exemptions in Chapters 7 and 13.
Oregon Bankruptcy Exemptions
Oregon bankruptcy exemptions protect property needed to maintain a household and job, like a home, car, retirement account, and furnishings. Learn how to use bankruptcy exemptions in Chapters 7 and 13.
Priority Claims in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
When you file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, not all creditors are treated equally. Bankruptcy law sets out the order in which creditors are paid and gives certain claims priority over others. These are referred to as priority claims.
Chapter 13 Rules: No Means Test Required
Although the Chapter 7 means test doesn't apply in Chapter 13, you still must meet Chapter 13 qualification requirements and prove you earn enough to pay the debts required by the Chapter 13 plan.
Virginia Bankruptcy Exemptions
Virginia bankruptcy exemptions let you keep essential property, including your home, car, instruments, retirement accounts, and furnishings. Understand how bankruptcy exemptions function in Chapters 7 and 13.
South Carolina Bankruptcy Exemptions
South Carolina bankruptcy exemptions can help you retain important property, such as a home, car, instruments, retirement accounts, and furnishings. Understand how bankruptcy exemptions function in Chapters 7 and 13.
Florida Bankruptcy Exemptions
Florida bankruptcy exemptions protect assets from bankruptcy creditors, including homes, cars, instruments, retirement accounts, and furnishings. Understand how bankruptcy exemptions function in Chapters 7 and 13.
Alabama Bankruptcy Exemptions
Alabama bankruptcy exemptions protect properties from bankruptcy creditors, including homes, cars, instruments, retirement accounts, and furnishings. Learn why bankruptcy exemptions affect property differently in Chapters 7 and 13.
New York Bankruptcy Exemptions
New York bankruptcy exemptions safeguard property, such as homes, cars, instruments, retirement accounts, and furnishings. Discover how New York bankruptcy exemptions impact assets differently in Chapters 7 and 13.
Colorado Bankruptcy Exemptions
Colorado bankruptcy exemptions help you keep property necessary to maintain a home and employment, including some home and vehicle equity, a retirement account, and household items. Discover how to apply bankruptcy exemptions in Chapters 7 and 13.