Before petitioning for a divorce, you must live in Hawaii for six months. This applies to military personnel stationed in Hawaii as well as legal residents of another state or country.
A Hawaii court will grant a divorce when it finds:
Hawaii is an "equitable distribution" state. The court will distribute all of the spouse's property, including the community, joint, and separate property, in a just and equitable manner, based on the following factors:
In addition to any other relevant factors considered, the court, in ordering spousal support and maintenance, shall consider the following factors:
The court may order maintenance to a party for an indefinite period or until a date of its choosing.
Hawaii law provides that joint or sole child custody may be awarded to either or both of the parents based on the best interests of the child and upon the wishes of the child, if the child is of sufficient age and capacity to form an intelligent choice. Joint custody will be allowed if it can be arranged to assure the child of continuing contact with both parents. There are no other specific factors for consideration set out in the statute.
State law requires the Hawaii Family Courts, the Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) and the Office of Child Support Hearings (OCSH) to follow guidelines when calculating monthly child support.
Under Hawaii law, both parents have a duty to support their child(ren). The age of majority in Hawaii is 19. Child support orders may be obtained any time during a physical separation, and established, modified, terminated or enforced through the Court, CSEA or OCSH. The court will consider both parents' incomes and the needs of the child in arriving at a monthly amount, and are based on the following principles:
http://www.courts.state.hi.us/ (Hawaii state court),
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/ (Hawaii state statutes),
http://www.attorneykimura.com/ (Hawaii family law firm)