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

If You Receive an Inheritance During Your Bankruptcy Case
If you inherit money during bankruptcy, you'll want to know how the 180-day rule works, what happens in Chapter 7 vs. Chapter 13, and how to protect it from creditors.
Paying Off Student Loans With a Credit Card Before Bankruptcy
Find out why transferring student loan balances to a credit card and eliminating the credit card debt in bankruptcy isn’t a sound tactic for handling student loan debt.
How to Fill Out Bankruptcy Schedule D: Creditors Who Have Claims Secured by Property
One of the forms you must complete in bankruptcy is Schedule D: Creditors Who Have Claims Secured by Property. On it, you provide information about creditors holding secured debts guaranteed by a lien or collateral.
Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Payments: What to Expect on a Low Income
In Chapter 13 bankruptcy, filers must pay priority debts and secured arrearages in full, pay unsecured creditors at least Chapter 7 value, and contribute all disposable income under a three- to five-year plan based on their income relative to the state median.
Car Repossessed After Filing Bankruptcy: What to Do Now
Learn why getting your car towed after you filed bankruptcy happens, why it's usually illegal, and the exact steps to get your vehicle back quickly.
Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Laws: Your Disposable Income
In Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you must devote all your disposable income to your Chapter 13 repayment plan. You can get a rough estimate of your plan payments by learning how to calculate it, although other factors also affect a Chapter 13 payment.
Determining Dependents For Bankruptcy Schedule J
Bankruptcy involves disclosing information about assets, debts, expenses, income, and financial transactions. Schedule J is where you'll list expenses and dependents. Learn who can be counted as a dependent in bankruptcy.
Will I Lose My Checking or Savings Account if I File Bankruptcy?
Find out whether bankruptcy takes the money in your bank account, how setoffs, exemptions, and joint accounts affect your checking and savings money, and when your institution will close your account.
When to Stop Using Credit Cards Before Filing for Bankruptcy
Learn when to stop using credit cards before bankruptcy, what purchases count as fraud, and how to protect your discharge from creditor challenges.
What Happens to Mortgages in Bankruptcy
If you're worried about your mortgage in bankruptcy, learn how Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 protect your home, cut your loan balance, and help you qualify to buy again after discharge.
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