John Coble has practiced as both a CPA and an attorney. John's legal specialties were tax law and bankruptcy law. Before starting his own firm, John worked for law offices, accounting firms, and one of America's largest banks. John handled almost 1,500 bankruptcy cases in the eight years that he ran his own law office. John has spent the last few years developing software and working on select data science projects. John holds a second law degree (LLM in Taxation) from the University of Alabama School of Law and a Data Science Certificate from Microsoft. John has worked on other graduate-level education in the fields of business and economics.
Articles written by Lawyer John Coble
What Are Bankruptcy-Friendly Credit Cards?
Written by Lawyer John Coble. Legally reviewed by Jonathan Petts
Updated August 26, 2025
It’s important to rebuild your credit after a bankruptcy. The good news is that you’ll get plenty of offers for credit after your bankruptcy discharge. The bad news is that some of those offers won’t be great, with high interest rates or hidden fees. If you want to rebuild your credit, you need to find the right card to work for you. Read on to learn about some of your options.
Read More →Self-Employment Income and Bankruptcy: How To Know What Counts and How To Report It
Written by Lawyer John Coble. Legally reviewed by Ben Jackson
Updated August 25, 2025
If you’re self-employed — whether as an independent contractor, gig worker, sole proprietor, or business owner — it’s important to understand how your income is classified and reported in bankruptcy. Business income must be disclosed in your forms, along with allowable expenses, and the process depends on your business structure. Independent contractors, gig workers, and sole proprietors report business income in personal bankruptcy, while business owners with separate legal entities have additional considerations. This guide explains what counts as business income and how to calculate it for the Chapter 7 means test and Schedule I.
Read More →How Will Filing Bankruptcy Affect My Children?
Written by Lawyer John Coble. Legally reviewed by Jonathan Petts
Updated August 25, 2025
If you’re a parent, your children are the most important parts of your life. You don’t want to do anything that could harm their futures. If you’re considering bankruptcy, you may be worried about the impact this will have on your children. The good news is that for those who need to file bankruptcy, the positive impact on your family will far outweigh any inconveniences. This guide examines the issues that could impact your minor children.
Read More →Judgment Enforcement and Collection in New York State
Written by Lawyer John Coble. Legally reviewed by Jonathan Petts
Updated August 21, 2025
If a creditor gets a court judgment against you, it can’t enforce it until it’s entered by the court clerk. If you don’t pay the judgment voluntarily, the judgment creditor has several debt collection options at its disposal. In addition to options like wage or bank account garnishment, the creditor could contact an enforcement officer for assistance. If a creditor wins a court judgment against you, you’ll have to pay the money judgment amount plus any interest the court orders. Pre-judgment interest accrues on the debt owed before the court’s decision, while post-judgment interest accrues on the money judgment after it’s entered. In New York state, the interest accrual rate for debt collection cases is 2% annually.
Read More →Rebuilt Title Car Loans Explained
Written by Lawyer John Coble. Legally reviewed by Jonathan Petts
Updated August 19, 2025
When a car's title is classified as a "salvage" title, this means that the vehicle has either been severely damaged or totaled. If the vehicle is repaired, the salvage title classification may shift to a "rebuilt" title. Buyers should be cautious when purchasing a vehicle with a rebuilt title because the car or truck may cost more to insure and the purchase may be harder to finance. Buying a vehicle with a salvage title is a process additionally burdened by the costs of repairing the damaged car.
Read More →What Is a Lien and How Does It Affect My Property?
Written by Lawyer John Coble. Legally reviewed by Jonathan Petts
Updated August 11, 2025
A lien is a property right held by a creditor to secure the creditor’s right to payment from the borrower. Once the creditor is paid in full, the lien is released and the borrower owns the property free and clear. This article will provide an overview of the different types of liens, how they arise, and provide some guidance and additional resources on how to deal with liens in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
Read More →Do I Still Owe the Bank After a Mortgage Foreclosure?
Written by Lawyer John Coble. Legally reviewed by Jonathan Petts
Updated August 7, 2025
The proceeds of a foreclosure sale don't always cover the total balance that a homeowner owes their lenders. When this occurs, the remainder owed is referred to as a deficiency balance. State law dictates when and how a lender may hold a borrower responsible for a deficiency balance. Borrowers may proactively work out a repayment arrangement with their lenders, they may seek to have the balance forgiven via bankruptcy, or they may be held responsible for repayment of the balance via a deficiency judgment.
Read More →How (and Why) To File Back Taxes if You Haven’t Filed in Years
Written by Lawyer John Coble. Legally reviewed by Jonathan Petts
Updated June 30, 2025
If you haven't filed a tax return in years, you may be wondering how to get back on track. The best way to make up for missed filings is to go back and file your old/missed returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Late or missing tax return filings can lead to penalties and possible legal trouble. If you have missed any tax filings in previous years, gather your old tax forms and file as soon as possible. You can file old tax returns online, in person at a local IRS office, or by mail.
Read More →4 Ways To Get "Currently Not Collectible" Status From The IRS
Written by Lawyer John Coble. Legally reviewed by Jonathan Petts
Updated January 30, 2025
If you're granted IRS currently not collectible status, the IRS will no longer try to collect taxes from you via bank account levies, wage garnishments, or seizures of your other property. If you can't afford to pay anything toward your IRS tax debt, you'll need to request CNC status. Otherwise, you could see your paycheck garnished or have funds in your bank account taken from you due to a bank account levy.
Read More →8 Fee-Free Bank Accounts You Can Open Even if You Have Bad Credit
Written by Lawyer John Coble. Legally reviewed by Jonathan Petts
Updated January 24, 2025
In the past, if you had bad credit, you could only open subpar second-chance checking accounts. They often had high fees and few benefits or good features. Now, a lot of online banks offer checking accounts with great features even if you have bad credit. This article looks at eight great options.
Read More →How Does Bankruptcy Affect Alimony?
Written by the Upsolve Team. Legally reviewed by Lawyer John Coble
Updated May 4, 2022
Alimony impacts your bankruptcy case differently if you’re paying alimony than if you’re receiving alimony. If you pay alimony, you must list it on your Schedule J as an expense. You must also usually continue to make payments while your case is pending and after you receive your bankruptcy discharge. Bankruptcy doesn’t eliminate your obligation to pay court-ordered alimony. If you receive alimony, you must list the amount as income on Schedule I and on the means test calculation form.
Read More →Wage Garnishment in Florida
Written by Lawyer John Coble. Legally reviewed by Ben Jackson
Updated August 27, 2025
A wage garnishment order allows creditors to take money directly from your paycheck. Most of the time, this is only possible after a court has entered a judgment. Here's how Florida regulates wage garnishments.
Repossession Laws in Tennessee
Written by Lawyer John Coble. Legally reviewed by Ben Jackson
Updated August 27, 2025
Repossession is the process of taking back a car after the owner defaults on their auto loan. Each state has different laws and regulations that dictate every step of the repossession process from start to finish. This page will provide an overview of Tennessee's Repossession Laws and what you should know if you've fallen behind on car payments.
Repossession Laws in South Carolina
Written by Lawyer John Coble. Legally reviewed by Ben Jackson
Updated August 27, 2025
Repossession is the process of taking back a car after the owner defaults on their auto loan. Each state has different laws and regulations that dictate every step of the repossession process from start to finish. This page will provide an overview of South Carolina's Repossession Laws and what you should know if you've fallen behind on car payments.
Repossession Laws in Ohio
Written by Lawyer John Coble. Legally reviewed by Rohan Pavuluri
Updated August 27, 2025
Repossession is the process of taking back a car after the owner defaults on their auto loan. Each state has different laws and regulations that dictate every step of the repossession process from start to finish. This page will provide an overview of Ohio's Repossession Laws and what you should know if you've fallen behind on car payments.
Repossession Laws in Pennsylvania
Written by Lawyer John Coble. Legally reviewed by Jonathan Petts
Updated August 27, 2025
Repossession is the process of taking back a car after the owner defaults on their auto loan. Each state has different laws and regulations that dictate every step of the repossession process from start to finish. This page will provide an overview of Pennsylvania's Repossession Laws and what you should know if you've fallen behind on car payments.
Repossession Laws in Oregon
Written by Lawyer John Coble.
Updated August 27, 2025
Repossession is the process of taking back a car after the owner defaults on their auto loan. Each state has different laws and regulations that dictate every step of the repossession process from start to finish. This page will provide an overview of Oregon's Repossession Laws and what you should know if you've fallen behind on car payments.
Repossession Laws in North Dakota
Written by Lawyer John Coble.
Updated August 23, 2025
Repossession is the process of taking back a car after the owner defaults on their auto loan. Each state has different laws and regulations that dictate every step of the repossession process from start to finish. This page will provide an overview of North Dakota's Repossession Laws and what you should know if you've fallen behind on car payments.
Repossession Laws in Montana
Written by Lawyer John Coble.
Updated August 23, 2025
Repossession is the process of taking back a car after the owner defaults on their auto loan. Each state has different laws and regulations that dictate every step of the repossession process from start to finish. This page will provide an overview of Montana's Repossession Laws and what you should know if you've fallen behind on car payments.
Wage Garnishment in Arkansas
Written by Lawyer John Coble.
Updated August 20, 2025
A wage garnishment order allows creditors to take money directly from your paycheck. Most of the time, this is only possible after a court has entered a judgment. Here's how Arkansas regulates wage garnishments.
Wage Garnishments in Colorado
Written by Lawyer John Coble.
Updated August 13, 2025
A wage garnishment order allows creditors to take money directly from your paycheck. Most of the time, this is only possible after a court has entered a judgment. Here's how Colorado regulates wage garnishments.
Wage Garnishment in Wisconsin
Written by Lawyer John Coble.
Updated May 22, 2025
A wage garnishment order allows creditors to take money directly from your paycheck. Most of the time, this is only possible after a court has entered a judgment. Here's how Wisconsin regulates wage garnishments.
Repossession Laws in Wyoming
Written by Lawyer John Coble.
Updated May 6, 2025
Repossession is the process of taking back a car after the owner defaults on their auto loan. Each state has different laws and regulations that dictate every step of the repossession process from start to finish. This page will provide an overview of Wyoming's Repossession Laws and what you should know if you've fallen behind on car payments.
Repossession Laws in Wisconsin
Written by Lawyer John Coble.
Updated May 5, 2025
Repossession is the process of taking back a car after the owner defaults on their auto loan. Each state has different laws and regulations that dictate every step of the repossession process from start to finish. This page will provide an overview of Wisconsin's Repossession Laws and what you should know if you've fallen behind on car payments.
Repossession Laws in Washington
Written by Lawyer John Coble.
Updated April 21, 2025
Repossession is the process of taking back a car after the owner defaults on their auto loan. Each state has different laws and regulations that dictate every step of the repossession process from start to finish. This page will provide an overview of Washington's Repossession Laws and what you should know if you've fallen behind on car payments.
