Hawaii
Divorce, lawyers, and free legal help in Hawaii — verified against official sources.
How divorce filing works in Hawaii
Hawaiʻi's Judiciary publishes official Family Court divorce packets — with and without children — for each circuit. Start with the packets before anything else.
Hawaiʻi Judiciary — Family Court Forms (Oʻahu)
Official divorce packets with and without children from the First Circuit Family Court.
courts.state.hi.us — family court forms →Find a divorce lawyer
Hawaii Lawyer Referral & Information Service
The Hawaii State Bar Association's referral service: (808) 537-9140; referrals are free.
hawaiilawyerreferral.com →New to hiring a lawyer? Read Start Here first — it covers what to ask and what to bring.
Free or low-cost legal help
Legal Aid Society of Hawaii
808-536-4302 (Oahu) / 1-800-499-4302 (neighbor islands).
legalaidhawaii.org →Report Child Abuse or Neglect
Call 808-832-5300 (Oahu) or toll-free 1-888-380-3088 (neighbor islands) — Hawaiʻi DHS Child Welfare Services, 24/7.
humanservices.hawaii.gov →Hawaiʻi Mortgage Foreclosure Dispute Resolution Program
The state's MFDR program, run with the DCCA: (808) 586-2886; $300 program fee; owner-occupants in nonjudicial foreclosure have a 15-day window to elect it.
ehawaii.gov — foreclosure dispute resolution →Call 211
Free, confidential referrals to local help. Dial 211 from any phone.
211.org →Unpaid wages in Hawaii
Your boss owes you pay and won't hand it over? Here's where to file and how long you have in Hawaii.
Where to go
Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Wage Standards Division
Time limit to file
1 year (unpaid wages claim)
What the floor is
$16.00 (2026)
Changing your name in Hawaii
Whether it's marriage, divorce, or just time for a fresh start — here's the process in Hawaii.
How it works
apply through the Lieutenant Governor's office (namechange.ehawaii.gov)
Typical court fee
~$50
Newspaper notice required?
yes
Small claims court in Hawaii
Suing someone without a lawyer, for smaller amounts, in a simpler court. Here's how it works in Hawaii.
Maximum claim
$5,000 (no limit for residential security deposit cases)
Filing fee
$35
Can you bring one?
yes — allowed
Clearing your criminal record in Hawaii
Expungement or sealing can hide eligible arrests and convictions from background checks. Here's where Hawaii stands.
Can records be cleared?
yes — expungement
What qualifies
arrests not charged or dismissed, acquittals, deferred pleas; some convictions under 2024 Clean Slate law
Waiting period
1 year after discharge for deferred pleas; varies by offense
Child support in Hawaii
How child support gets calculated — and when it ends — in Hawaii.
How it's figured
Melson formula Hawaii State Judiciary Child Support Guidelines Worksheet
When it ends
age 18, or up to age 19 if enrolled full-time in school
Lemon law in Hawaii
Bought a new car that's constantly in the shop? Hawaii's lemon law may get you a refund or a replacement.
Which vehicles qualify
new motor vehicles purchased or leased (including demos); no used-car lemon law
When it's legally a lemon
3+ repairs of the same nonconformity, 1 repair of a serious safety defect, or 30+ business days out of service within the warranty term, 2 years, or 24,000 miles
What you get
refund or replacement vehicle
Tenant rights in Hawaii
Renting comes with rights most people never hear about until something goes wrong. Here are the key ones in Hawaii.
Notice before eviction
45 days written notice to end month-to-month; 15-day notice to pay or quit for nonpayment (mediation required)
Deposit limits & return
Max 1 month's rent; returned within 14 days with itemized deduction list
When the landlord won't fix things
May repair and deduct after written notice (cap $500, or $500/one month's rent with two written estimates)
DUI / DWI in Hawaii
Driving under the influence carries some of the stiffest penalties in everyday law. Here's how Hawaii handles it.
Blood alcohol (BAC) limit
0.08; enhanced penalties at 0.15
Typical penalties
2-5 days jail, $250-$1,000 fine, 1-18 month license revocation
How far back DUIs count
10-year lookback
Gun laws in Hawaii
Gun laws vary a lot from state to state — what's perfectly legal in one state can be a crime in another. Here's the big picture for this state. Laws change often, so double-check anything before you act.
Carrying a concealed handgun
Permit required; shall-issue (since 2023 Act 52), 21+, residents only
Carrying openly
Prohibited (separate license requiring demonstrated need, rarely granted)
Background checks & waiting periods
Private sales: Required (universal; purchase permit with background check required for all transfers) Waiting period: 14 days (permit-to-acquire issuance).
Extreme risk protection
Yes. Courts can temporarily order firearms removed from someone found to be a danger.
Reciprocity
None; does not recognize any out-of-state permits
Filming the police: your rights in Hawaii
Federal appeals courts across the country have recognized a First Amendment right to photograph and record police officers performing their official duties in public. The U.S. Supreme Court has not ruled on it directly. The right does not protect interfering with officers, trespassing, or breaking other laws while you record.
One-party consent
If you are part of a conversation, you may record it — including with police. (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 803-42)
No buffer-zone law
Hawaii has no law setting a minimum distance for filming police. You still must not interfere with officers doing their jobs.
Hawaii's eavesdropping law is one-party consent. The privacy statute (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 711-1111(1)(d)) expressly permits recording officers performing their duties when they have no reasonable expectation of privacy. The Hawaii Supreme Court held in State v. Russo (407 P.3d 137, 2017) that filming on-duty police in public is protected by the First Amendment and the state constitution.
Drug & alcohol addiction help in Hawaii
Addiction is a health issue, and help is out there — including court programs that can send people to treatment instead of jail. No insurance needed to call.
SAMHSA National Helpline
Free, confidential referrals to treatment — call 1-800-662-4357 (English & Spanish).
Human trafficking victims in Hawaii
If you or someone you know is being forced to work or forced into sex against their will, you are a victim of a crime and help is available — immigration status does not matter.
National Human Trafficking Hotline
Call 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733 — free, confidential, for victims and anyone who suspects trafficking.
Bullying in Hawaii
Every state has an anti-bullying law, and every school must have a plan. If your child is being bullied, document what happens and report it in writing to the school — and know what your state’s law requires.
Homelessness help in Hawaii
If you are homeless or at risk of losing your housing, help is close by. Shelters, food, health care, and long-term housing programs exist in every community.
211 homeless services
Dial 211 and press 6 for homeless services in your area.
VA homeless veterans
Homeless veterans: call the VA National Call Center at 1-877-424-3838 (877-4AID-VET), 24/7.
Deed fraud & squatters in Hawaii
Thieves can forge a deed to steal your home’s title — many counties offer free recording alerts that notify you if anything is filed against your property. And if someone is living in your property without permission, your state has specific rules for removing them: you generally cannot just change the locks.
FBI: protect your property from deed fraud
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center alert on parcel-owner impersonation →