Haw. Rev. Stat. » Haw. Rev. Stat. / Chapter 551
Hawaii Revised Statutes

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 551-1 (2026)

  Jurisdiction

✓ current as of July 2026
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GENERAL PROVISIONS

 

     §551-1  Jurisdiction.  Family courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction to appoint guardians for minors, and circuit courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction to appoint conservators for both adults and minors.  The family and circuit courts shall have concurrent jurisdiction over guardianships for incapacitated adults.  Either a guardian or conservator, or both, may be appointed. [CC 1859, §1343; am L 1903, c 16, §1; RL 1925, §3064; am L 1925, c 42, §1; RL 1935, §4850; RL 1945, §12500; RL 1955, §338-1; HRS §551-1; am L 1972, c 145, §1(e); am L 1976, c 200, pt of §1; am L 2004, c 161, §16]

 

Cross References

 

  Jurisdiction to appoint guardian:  Minors, see §571-11; adults, see §571-14.

  Jurisdiction of circuit court, see §§603-21.6, 603-36.

 

Case Notes

 

  Powers, inherent powers of a court of chancery.  See 13 H. 257, 262 (1901); 26 H. 337, 340-41 (1922).

  Jurisdiction at chambers.  See 16 H. 13, 15 (1904); 16 H. 242 (1904), aff'd 197 U.S. 348 (1905); 16 H. 412 (1905).

  Under this section, even before family court constituted, court could appoint guardian of person or estate without appointing both, whether for a minor, insane person or spendthrift.  34 H. 935, 941 (1939).

 

 

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 2 cases, 1994–2007 · leading case: State v. Alagao, 883 P.2d 682 (Haw. App. 1994).
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State v. Alagao, 883 P.2d 682 (Haw. App. 1994). · cites it 2× “A child’s stepparent who has not been lawfully appointed as the guardian of the child’s person by the family court pursuant to HRS § 551-1 (1985) is not the child’s guardian.”
In Interest of Ag, 165 P.3d 1048 (Haw. App. 2007). · cites it 2× “A child's stepparent who has not been lawfully appointed as the guardian of the child's person by the family court pursuant to HRS § 551-1 (1985) is not the child's guardian.”
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