Why aren't you in the yellow pages? If you look closely, you will find that I do have a small listing that came with my business line. I have not purchased a large ad because listings are very expensive and contribute to much of the overhead that clients of other firms must underwrite by paying inflated hourly fees. This is especially true now that there are so many different directories. Fortunately, most of my clients come through referrals from other attorneys and prior or existing clients.
What is the "Order of the Coif?" The Order of the Coif is a national law honors society. About 75 law schools nationwide have chapters. The award in conferred on graduates of those schools who attained academic distinction.
ABOUT CHILD SUPPORT
What is the CSEA and what does it do? "CSEA" is short for Child Support Enforcement Agency. It is an agency of the State of Hawaii. The CSEA has "concurrent jurisdiction" with the Family Court to set or modify child support through administrative proceedings. It also helps custodial parents collect support ordered by the CSEA or a court.
My ex-spouse won't let me visit my child, can I stop paying child support? No. Child support and visitation are two separate issues. If you aren't getting ordered visits or if you believe you should have more or better opportunities to access your child, go back to court and deal with it. If you stop paying support, it will make you look really bad and may even prejudice your chances of getting the visitation or other rights to which you would otherwise be entitled.
Can I just quit my job and avoid paying child support altogether? That is a good way to make a bad situation even worse. Even people without a job have a support obligation. $50 per month is the minimum. If a parent is capable of earning more, the Court can "impute" income and base your support obligation on what you can earn if you try.
When does child support end? The typical support order requires payment to age 19 or until the child finishes high school, whichever occurs first. Support may also be required for adult children who go on to college, trade school or vocational school. Support can terminate early under some fairly limited circumstances (like, for example, if the child is adopted by another person).
How much child support do I have to pay? Parents have a legal obligation to support their children. The non-custodial parent is required to contribute to that support by making monthly payments in an amount determined by referencing Child Support Guidelines adopted by the State of Hawaii. Once some critical issues are determined (such as how much each parent earns per month), the numbers are plugged into a math formula that determines the support obligation of the parents. Under "exceptional circumstances" the court can adjust the amount, but that doesn't happen very often.
ABOUT DIVORCE
How much does it cost? Like any litigation, the cost of a divorce depends on a multitude of factors, including, but not limited to, the types of issues involved, the contentiousness of the other party, and the ability of the parties to work cooperatively to resolve divorce issues. Some divorces are relatively inexpensive. An "uncontested" divorce will typically cost between $500 and $1,000. Contested divorces are rarely resolved for less than $2,500 and the upper limit has never been defined.
What is an "uncontested" divorce? A divorce is "uncontested" when both parties agree on the terms of the divorce and there is nothing left for a judge to decide. In those types of cases, the divorce can be handled through documents and no court appearances are necessary. If the case is "uncontested" from the outset, it is a relatively inexpensive procedure.
I've been naughty. Is that going to mess up my divorce? Maybe not. Hawaii is a "no fault" divorce state. In some states it might be necessary to show that one person or the other is a "bad" spouse to get the marriage dissolved. That's not true in Hawaii. The character of the parties is usually not important unless it has some bearing on other issues that are part of the divorce (such as child custody).
What is "Children in Transition" all about? "Children in Transition" is a program in the Third Circuit (the County of Hawaii) to help foster an understanding of the effect of divorce on children. Divorcing parents and their children are required to attend an early evening program conducted by judges, attorneys, social workers and others. Similar programs in other circuits are called "Kids First."
Disclaimer of Liability: The information provided by this website is not to be considered legal advice and the purpose of this website is not to provide legal advice. An attorney-client relationship is not created by this website. If the reader has a legal problem, he or she should consult with an attorney. Any information contained in an e-mail sent to us shall not be considered privileged or confidential. E-mail is not a secure means of communication and should not be considered such. While the information on this site is about legal issues, it is not legal advice. Moreover, due to the rapidly changing nature of the law and our reliance on information provided by outside sources, we make no warranty or guarantee concerning the accuracy or reliability of the content at this site or at other sites to which we link.
Note: Links to other sites are provided for amusement only. We do not warrant or endorse external sites.
