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

Can You File Bankruptcy on a Car Loan and Keep the Car?
Learn what happens if you file bankruptcy and have a car loan, especially if you want to keep the car after filing bankruptcy. The answer? When filing for bankruptcy with a car loan, you must continue making payments or lose the car. Learn how to file bankruptcy and keep your car and what happens to your car loan when you file Chapter 7 and Chapter 13.
Will Bankruptcy Affect My Job or Future Employment?
In most situations, bankruptcy won't affect your current employment or getting a job unless you apply for a job in private industry that deals with money. Learn if you could lose a job if you file for Chapter 7 and how your employer might know if you filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy.
Should I File for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 If I Want to Keep My Home?
Can you file for bankruptcy and keep your house? This article explains how to file for bankruptcy and keep your house in Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. You'll learn about protecting home equity in Chapters 7 and 13, keeping a house in Chapter 7, and catching up on past-due payments in Chapter 13. You'll also learn when you can remove liens and lower mortgage payments in Chapter 13 bankruptcy.
Can I Keep Cash in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy?
You can file bankruptcy if you have money in the bank. But how much cash you can keep when filing Chapter 7 will depend on whether you can protect it with a cash exemption in Chapter 7. This article explains the Chapter 7 bankruptcy process, how much cash is exempt in Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and why you should avoid hiding cash during Chapter 7.
Student Loan Debt in Bankruptcy
Yes, you can file for bankruptcy on student loans, and it's getting easier to "discharge" or erase student loans in bankruptcy. But debtors can’t wipe out student loan debt in Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy without filing a separate litigation matter. You must prove to a bankruptcy judge that repaying your student loans would cause you undue hardship. If successful, you can get rid of your student loans in bankruptcy.
What You Should Expect From a Lawyer
If you're dissatisfied with your lawyer, this article will help you determine whether your complaints are reasonable.
Changes to Bankruptcy Means Test Median Family Income Amounts
The bankruptcy means test median family income amounts change each year. Learn where to find the latest figures for all states, commonwealth, and United States territories.
How do I find a lawyer who'll work on contingency?
Learn how to find a lawyer who'll work on contingency.
Eliminating Tax Debts in Bankruptcy
Most taxes can't be eliminated in bankruptcy, but federal income tax can be erased if it meets bankruptcy discharge requirements. Find out how to determine if bankruptcy will clear tax debt or if you'll remain responsible for paying federal income taxes after your bankruptcy case.
Filing a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy: Basic Steps
When filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, your case should move forward predictably. Here's a summary of what's involved in a typical Chapter 7 bankruptcy.