Hawaii Legal Guides
24 guides covering Hawaii topics, each with Caselaw search beside the article.
Where to search Hawaii lawFree caselaw search for Hawaii — search by citation, case name, or legal issue, with full text and PDFs.
- Adverse Possession in Hawaii
Hawaii adverse possession: 20 years under Haw. Rev. Stat. § 657-31. Elements, taxes, color of title, and linked Hawaii opinions.
- Can I Get Sued After a Car Accident in Hawaii? Does Fault Matter?
Hawaii car accident lawsuits and fault: modified comparative fault with a 51% bar (recovery barred if you are more than 50% at fault) under Haw. Rev. Stat. § 663-31, when you can sue or be sued, insurance rules, and the statute of limitations (2 years — Haw. Rev. Stat. § 657-7).
- Castle Doctrine in Hawaii: Deadly Force Against Intruders
Hawaii castle doctrine: when occupants may use deadly force against home intruders, key statutes (Haw. Rev. Stat. § 703-304), presumptions, and leading cases.
- Child Custody and Parenting Time in Hawaii
How Hawaii courts decide custody and parenting time under Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 571-46 to 571-46.5, including best-interests factors, relocation, and modification.
- DUI Penalties in Hawaii
Hawaii DUI penalties under Haw. Rev. Stat. § 291E-61: BAC limits, first-offense range, when a DUI becomes a felony, and ignition-interlock rules.
- Hawaii Child Support Guidelines: How Support Is Calculated
How Hawaii calculates child support under Haw. Rev. Stat. ch. 576D; Hawaii Child Support Guidelines (Melson-based), including the melson formula, deviations, modification, and leading cases.
- Hawaii Evidence Law: Admissibility, Hearsay, and Authenticity
A practitioner guide to Hawaii evidence law under the Hawaii Rules of Evidence: general admissibility, character evidence, hearsay and its workhorse exceptions, unavailable declarants, depositions at trial, party admissions, dying declarations, medical statements, and a dedicated authenticity section — with case and statute links in the LawDiver corpus.
- Hawaii Spousal support (alimony): Eligibility, Amount, and Duration
How Hawaii courts award spousal support (alimony) under Haw. Rev. Stat. § 580-47: eligibility, statutory factors, duration, and leading cases.
- Hawaii Supreme Court: Terms Of Trust Do Not Override The Law
The June 2020 Hawaii Supreme Court case of In re Elaine Emma Short Revocable Living Trust Agreement had a complicated fact pattern with clear takeaways: make sure there are findings of fact in any order entered in a contested probate procee…
- How Does Bond Work in Hawaii? Bail and Pretrial Release Explained
Hawaii bail and bond explained: cash, surety, and ROR. Types of release, what judges consider at a bail hearing, forfeiture risks, and linked Hawaii opinions under Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 804-3 to 804-7.
- How Does Eviction Work in Hawaii?
Hawaii eviction / summary possession under Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 521-71, 666-1 to 666-21: notices, filing forum, timeline to a writ of possession, and common tenant defenses.
- How Do You Make a Valid Will In Hawaii?
To create a valid will under Hawaii law, the will must be: In writing; Signed by the testator; Signed and witnessed by two witnesses. The requirements for the execution of a valid will are found at Hawaii Revised Statutes § 560:2-502…
- How to File a Lawsuit Without a Lawyer in Hawaii: Pro Se Litigation Guide
A practical Hawaii guide to representing yourself: what statutes, cases, and rules are; how to draft and file a complaint; how service and Judiciary Electronic Filing and Service System (JEFS) registration work; discovery; evidence; and how LawDiver helps you research authorities in the corpus.
- How to File for Divorce in Hawaii
Hawaii divorce filing guide: At least one party must have been domiciled in Hawaii for 3 months (continuously) before filing; longer presence may be needed for certain judgments. equitable distribution; linked statutes and process overview.
- How to Get a Prison Sentence Reduced in Hawaii
Paths to shorten or correct a Hawaii prison sentence under Haw. R. Penal P. 35: modification motions, good-time credits, parole, and post-conviction relief — with linked Hawaii opinions.
- How to Modify Child Support in Hawaii
Step-by-step guide to modifying a Hawaii child support order under HRS §§ 576E-15, 576D-7: what counts as a change in circumstances, when changes take effect, and the cases that matter.
- How to Modify Spousal Support in Hawaii
Step-by-step guide to modifying spousal support in Hawaii under HRS § 580-47; Family Court modification practice: changed-circumstances standards, retirement and cohabitation rules, when changes take effect, and the cases that matter.
- Is Abortion Legal in Hawaii?
Hawaii abortion law after Dobbs: protected access. Legal until viability, with life/health exceptions thereafter. Linked statutes and Hawaii opinions.
- Petitioning for Expungement in Hawaii
Hawaii expungement begins with Haw. Rev. Stat. § 571-88, expunging an arrest record. This guide follows that petition, the records that travel under a different section, and the opinions that have already decided these requests.
- Security Deposit Return in Hawaii
How Hawaii landlords must handle residential security deposits under Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-44: limits, return deadlines, and wrongful-withholding remedies.
- Stand Your Ground Laws in Hawaii
Hawaii stand-your-ground overview (duty-to-retreat (outside the home)): duty to retreat, statutes, civil immunity, and controlling cases.
- Surviving Spouse Rights Hawaii
Hawaii law provides surviving spouses with rights, including: Intestate Share Homestead Allowance Exempt Property Maintenance Allowance Elective Share What Are A Surviving Spouse's Rights in Hawaii When There Is No Valid Will? When a decede…
- What Happens If I Refuse a Breathalyzer Test in Hawaii?
Hawaii implied-consent consequences for refusing a chemical breath or blood test under Haw. Rev. Stat. § 291E-11, including license suspension and evidence use.
- Who Are Next Of Kin In Hawaii?
In Hawaii, “next of kin” for purposes of intestate succession (when someone dies without a will) generally include the closest relatives of the decedent, specifically the: Surviving spouse Children Parents Siblings Grandparents A person’s s…